Brigid O’Malley ’29
New Editor
On Monday, Feb. 2, Columbia School of Journalism Professors Ari Goldman and Greg Khalil spoke at the Rehm Library in a seminar called “Israel/Palestine After Gaza.” Goldman, an American Jewish journalist who identifies as a Zionist, and Khalil, a Palestinian-American Christian journalist, discussed journalism and education during times of conflict, how facts are changed to suit the story teller, and what objectivity means within a highly polarized political climate.
Goldman and Khalil have co-taught a journalism class called “Covering Religion” at Columbia for the past seven years, a course preparing students to report on religious issues. Goldman’s aim is to teach to tell a story from multiple perspectives, using a lens called empathetic objectivity. “We shouldn’t take one side or the other,” Goldman said. “We should tell both sides of the story and let the reader decide.” For Goldman, empathetic objectivity is the ultimate goal of journalism, a time when you “stop viewing the world from where [you] stand, and [you] get into the experience of the believer.”
The speakers acknowledge that narratives are not always represented equally in media coverage, particularly in reporting on Israel and Palestine. Khalil emphasized the importance of including a diversity of perspectives while maintaining factual accuracy. “Reporting,” he said, “has failed in both of those ways, and [in] empathetic objectivity, long before Oct. 7.”
He argued that journalism must be grounded in verifiable facts while also accounting for how power and access shape whose stories are told.
Khalil also discussed the role of shared values in journalism, stating that empathy and factual reporting are necessary for productive public discourse. “The only way to protect speech and freedom as it’s under assault is to not sit back on the sidelines,” he said. He added that journalism inevitably reflects values, which should be oriented toward broader societal benefit.
During the discussion, Khalil raised concerns about Zionism as it has been implemented historically and politically, arguing that it has resulted in displacement and violence against Palestinians. He referenced early Zionist rhetoric and stated that Palestinians have experienced what he described as erasure. Khalil said that when Palestinians are given platforms, they are often expected to contextualize their experiences within other narratives rather than present them independently.
Goldman responded by cautioning against the use of certain terms, including genocide and apartheid, which he described as “loaded.” He said that while he acknowledges human rights abuses and civilian suffering, he believes such language can hinder dialogue and contribute to rising antisemitism globally. Goldman expressed concern that criticism of Israeli government actions can lead to Jewish communities being targeted.
Khalil countered by noting that organizations such as Amnesty International, United Nations officials, and provisional rulings by the International Court of Justice have used legal frameworks to assess allegation of genocide, apartheid, and violations of international law. “These are all legal terms,” Khalil said, adding that Israeli human rights organizations have also characterized conditions on the ground with similar language.
Both speakers addressed the tension between emotional responses to language and the role of documented evidence in journalism. Khalil stated that acknowledging historical and legal facts does not require replacing one narrative with another, but rather recognizing the complexity of moral and factual storytelling.
The conversation pointed out differing approaches to objectivity: Goldman emphasized restraint in language and equal representation of perspectives, while Khalil stressed the importance of situating reporting within established legal and historical frameworks. Despite their disagreements, both speakers emphasized a shared commitment to factual accuracy and responsible storytelling.
The seminar concluded without consensus on how journalists should balance competing narratives in highly polarized conflicts. Goldman and Khalil agreed, however, that journalism’s central responsibility is to report truthfully, even amid disagreement over how truth is defined and communicated.
Featured image courtesy of Google Images
Leave a Reply