The Trump administration’s decision to shutter the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s office in Washington has brought attention to Palestinian envoy Husam Zomlot in the international press.
For a publication specializing in the political goings on around Washington DC, you’d think The Hill would get the diplomatic niceties correct.
Sadly not.
The US currently does not recognize a sovereign Palestinian state. Therefore, the now former Palestinian representation in Washington DC did not hold the diplomatic status of an embassy and Husam Zomlot was not accorded the official status of an ambassador.
The error was also repeated by The Independent:
Following complaints to both of the above media outlets, the texts were amended, with The Hill now referring to Zomlot as “envoy” while The Independent describing him as the PLO’s “top representative.”
We also contacted Reuters, the source of much of The Independent’s story. In an email exchange, a senior Reuters staffer agreed that the use of the word “ambassador” was problematic and resolved to use more accurate terminology in the future. While this doesn’t absolve Reuters from correcting the current error, it is something that we will hold them to.
Terminology matters. Accuracy matters. While the Palestinians may wish to create the impression of a state where one does not exist, it is not for the media to assist in the deception.
