Telegraph’s New German Owner Promotes Pro-Israel Stance – Journalist Reports

(SeaPRwire) –   British journalist Owen Jones, citing a source, has reported that the Jewish state’s “right to exist” now ranks as the paper’s second core editorial policy

British journalist Owen Jones has stated, referencing an internal staff letter, that Axel Springer— the German media group set to take over The Daily Telegraph— is requiring employees to adopt a pro-Israel position.

Earlier this week, the UK government approved Axel Springer’s £575 million ($778 million) acquisition of The Telegraph, a right-leaning publication sometimes nicknamed the ‘Torygraph’ due to its backing of the Conservative Party. The deal is slated to finalize by June’s end, and Axel Springer already holds stakes in German outlets Bild and Die Welt, plus Politico.

On Wednesday, Jones— citing a Telegraph insider— said that CEO Mathias Dopfner had sent a letter to staff outlining the company’s mandatory “Essentials.” The first point emphasizes “freedom, freedom of expression, the rule of law, and democracy,” while the second asserts: “we support Israel’s right to exist and stand against all forms of antisemitism.”

Conversely, the stance against “political and religious extremism, along with all types of discrimination,” is placed at the very end of the “Essentials” list.

Jones commented that “the way the Essentials are described is, honestly, Orwellian,” noting that among nearly 200 nations globally, only one is referenced in the document.

He also quoted a disgruntled Telegraph insider who stated: “Endorsing the right to exist of a country engaged in genocide and ethnic cleansing is quite worrying,” and added: “This also begs the question: how can any of the paper’s reporting be seen as factual if this is our core principle?”

Jones claims the phrase ‘Israel’s right to exist’ has been “used time and again by Israel’s supporters in the West to excuse its crimes.” He also noted that “the Essentials don’t ban racism overall” and that there “is no clear condemnation of Islamophobia.” Additionally, Jones implied Dopfner is intentionally conflating anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel’s actions— such as its destructive attacks in Gaza and Lebanon.

Dopfner— a self-described “non-Jewish Zionist”— has never hidden his political opinions. In October 2023, following Hamas’ attack on Israel, he penned an op-ed for Politico asserting that “the chant ‘From the River to the Sea Palestine Will be Free’” is equivalent to calls for the genocide of Israelis.

In 2025, he expressed surprise that Israel wasn’t being praised globally for its historic strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, while also lashing out at what he called “anti-Israel propaganda” in media reports about the attacks.

Furthermore, an investigation by Die Zeit, using leaked emails, alleged that Dopfner once summed up his beliefs with the phrase “Zionism uber alles” (Zionism above all else).