CNN’s “Situation Room” Resituates Israel’s Capital
National security expert Frances Townsend appearing on an earlier broadcast of “The Situation Room”
On Sept. 17, “The Situation Room” host Joe Johns (standing in for Wolf Blitzer) and guest Frances Townsend, a former U.S. national security advisor, refer to Tel Aviv as Israel’s capital. Johns reports:
Iran is blaming Israel and the U.S. for what it says was an attempt to sabotage an underground nuclear facility. It says explosives were used to cut power lines, a move that could damage centrifuges used to enrich uranium.
Washington and Tel Aviv deny involvement.
Likewise, Townsend states:
If you step back and look at the things and now you add to this the explosion of power lines, one has to really question whether or not there’s not some state-sponsored organized effort. Nobody here in Washington is obviously talking. Both Washington and Tel Aviv deny it . . .
Just as reporters regularly use “Washington,” the U.S. capital, as a shorthand for the U.S. government, the correct shorthand for the Israeli government is Jerusalem, Israel’s capital.
This would not be the first time that CNN confused Tel Aviv for Israel’s capital. Other media outlets have corrected erroneous identifications of Tel Aviv as Israel’s capital.
Among them are the Washington Post and Boston Globe, which published the following corrections:
Error (Washington Post, Scott Wilson, 3/21/12): Obama’s more aggressive message this year reflects the increasing concern in Washington, Tel Aviv and other capitals about Iran’s enrichment program, which Israel believes will be used to produce a nuclear weapon.
Correction (3/30/12): A March 21 A-section article about President Obama’s annual message to the Iranian people incorrectly referred to Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel. Israel designated Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, although many countries maintain embassies and other diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv because of the Palestinians’ competing claim on Jerusalem as their capital.
Error (Boston Globe, 7/14/03): The refugees and many other Palestinians publicly say there can be no peace with Israel until Tel Aviv recognizes the refugees’ right to return.
Correction (7/17/03): Because of an editing error, a story on a Palestinian protest in Monday’s World pages incorrectly suggested that Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel. The capital is Jerusalem.
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