Gideon Levy interviews for antisemite Jackson Hinkle - then pretends he didn't know Hinkle's views

Haaretz journalist Gideon Levy is engaging in damage control today (Tuesday) following the revelation of his granting of an interview to notorious antisemite Jackson Hinkle, saying he only learned of Hinkle's views after the fact.

Haaretz journalist Gideon Levy is no stranger to courting controversy, often making some of the most anti-Israel statements at a paper known for having an often extremely critical attitude towards the Jewish state. But he likely did not expect the backlash that came when he granted an interview to Jackson Hinkle, an X influencer known for extreme anti-American and anti-Israeli views.

Starting out on the mainstream right, Hinkle quickly became an extremist, openly and uncritically repeating any and all anti-American and anti-Israel claims made by Russia, the Houthis, Hamas, and anyone else who opposed those who he hated.

Hinkle has been known for years now as a provocateur who flies to countries in opposition to Israel and the United States to openly support their efforts to kill Americans and Israelis. Yet when the backlash came for Levy over interviewing for his podcast, Levy claimed complete ignorance in the following statement:

Hinkle, for his part, replied to the statement on X by saying he never libeled Haaretz even though Haaretz reportedly threatened to sue him, and claimed that he fairly interpreted Haaretz reporting which appeared to damn Israel. Haaretz denies this to be the case.

Either way, Levy is unlikely to emerge unscathed from the controversy, as he either failed to do minimal due diligence as a seasoned and experienced reporter regarding a well-known provocateur or agrees with Hinkle's views but refuses to stand by them when facing criticism.