HR Prompts Correction to The Observer’s Tel Aviv Error

The Observer fails to conform to its own style guide when it refers to Tel Aviv, falsely implying it to be Israel's capital city.

By March 27, 2018

While The Guardian and its sister Sunday publication, The Observer flatly refuse to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city, their style guide (as a result of legal action launched by HonestReporting in 2012) states:

Jerusalem is the seat of government and Tel Aviv is the country’s diplomatic and financial centre.

Unfortunately, old habits die hard as demonstrated by this Observer editorial concerning the appointment of John Bolton as US President Trump’s national security adviser:

Tel Aviv does not believe anything concerning Iranian intentions. Israeli decision making takes place in its capital Jerusalem where its government is located.

We reminded editors of this fact and Tel Aviv has now been replaced by the word “Israel” to conform to the newspaper’s own style guide.

Sadly, an editorial that claims that Israel’s leadership “gives every appearance of itching for a fight with Hezbollah” is indicative of The Observer’s blinkered attitude and anti-Israel bias. How appalling that editors prefer to see Israel, rather than a genocidal terrorist organization that threatens Israel with thousands of rockets, as the aggressive party.

© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025

Simon Plosker

Simon Plosker

With over two decades of experience in various non-governmental organizations in the UK and Israel, Simon Plosker returned to HonestReporting in October 2022 as Editorial Director having previously been part of the organization’s management team from 2005 to 2020.

Prior to his first spell at HonestReporting, Simon worked in Israel for NGO Monitor, BICOM, and served for a short period in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. He was Managing Editor of the Geneva-based NGO United Nations Watch for two years before moving back to the frontline defending Israel from media bias.

Simon has a BSoc.Sc in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Birmingham and an MSc in History of International Relations from the London School of Economics. He immigrated to Israel in 2001 from London.

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