Stahl’s West Bank report airs amid disputed editing-clash claims

Lesley Stahl’s report on violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank aired on 60 Minutes on Sunday, October 11, after a reported dispute over edits between the veteran correspondent and CBS News leadership. CBS disputed claims that Stahl nearly quit over the process, calling that account a “ludicrous, twisted narrative.” The segment followed Stahl as she accompanied Palestinians attempting to reach a family home. It showed young Israeli settlers blocking and confronting the group, and included an exchange in which one settler asked Stahl whether she was “in with Hamas.” The broadcast also examined the impact of settler violence on Palestinian communities and land. The reported newsroom clash has not been independently established. Status, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, reported that CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss and managing editor Charles Forelle took part in screenings and offered edits. Those sources said Stahl was frustrated with the feedback and pushed to keep the report on its Sunday airdate after Forelle suggested holding it for a later date. They also said she considered quitting.