Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a newsy interview with “60 Minutes” with Major Garrett that aired on Sunday following an unusual “negotiation” with CBS News boss Bari Weiss that iced out the show’s legendary correspondent Lesley Stahl, The Post has learned.
Weiss, who personally booked the Israeli prime minister’s first major US broadcast interview since the Iran war, did so only after giving him a choice between Stahl and Garrett, who isn’t a “60 Minutes” correspondent but instead chief Washington correspondent for CBS News, a source told The Post.
That was after Stahl had spent months doggedly trying to land the Netanyahu sit-down, according to the Status newsletter — only to find that Weiss “handed” the interview to Garrett, ruffling feathers at the storied TV news magazine.
Sources close to the situation, however, signaled that Garrett only got the assignment after Weiss gave Netanyahu a say in the matter as part of a last-ditch effort to clinch the interview for the network.
“Bari did what she had to do to secure the interview,” an insider told The Post. “Bibi’s office picked Major over Stahl.”
Reps for Netanyahu for did not return requests for comment.
A rep for CBS News did not comment but pointed to the network’s prior statement on the matter: “It’s the editor in chief’s job to make decisions about bookings and interviews. Major is a world-class journalist and did a tough, fair, and newsmaking interview.”
Stahl, 84, has been said to have a good relationship with Weiss — who privately has called the journalist a “national treasure”. But insiders mused that the latest episode could push Stahl, who has reported for “60 Minutes” since 1991, to finally retire.
Sources close to Weiss said there’s a desire for Stahl to stay at the network.
Still, the latest episode comes as Weiss is ready to shake up “60 Minutes.” A source with knowledge told The Post that Weiss’ move to bring in more voices into the “60 Minutes” tent is part of her larger strategy for the show.
“She’s opening up ’60 Minutes’ to the news division,” one source said, noting that Norah O’Donnell, will get more airtime on the prestigious show next season, and that correspondents like Matt Gutman and even “Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil are expected to make appearances, too.
“This is exactly what Bari has been talking about doing — breaking down the silos at ’60 Minutes’ and making clear that the show is no longer an island unto itself and subject to its own rules and own editorial standards.”
While the move to allow a subject to dictate who their interviewer is frowned upon, it’s also not unheard of, the person added. President Trump said he picked ABC News’ Terry Moran to interview him last year; ABC News did not publicly confirm if they gave him veto power at the time.
The move marked the second time in recent months that Weiss reportedly secured a marquee interview for “60 Minutes” only to hand the assignment to Garrett instead of one of the program’s own correspondents.
In March, Weiss tapped Garrett to interview Secretary of War Pete Hegseth — then instructed that the high-profile sit-down air on “60 Minutes” despite Garrett not being one of the program’s correspondents.
Some insiders told The Post that Netanyahu likely preferred Garrett because he was viewed as a more agreeable interviewer.
“Major Garrett was a friendly face and a reliable choice because he would not challenge Netanyahu,” one source said.
But the interview did have newsy moments, including when the prime minister said the war in Iran was “not over” and that he wants to end US military financial support for Israel.
As previously reported by The Post, Weiss has drawn backlash after shelving “60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi’s controversial CECOT prison report and is reportedly preparing sweeping changes to the storied program — with Alfonsi’s contract set to expire at the end of the month.
Sources with knowledge said the network is not expected to renew her contract and that she will likely be alerted by human resources once the show’s season ends next week.
A handful of producers are also expected to leave the network as Weiss seeks to bring in fresh blood that will big stories, The Post previously reported.
Meanwhile, Alfonsi has since retained high-profile attorney Bryan Freedman — whose past clients include Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon — as she braces for a possible exit from the network when her contract expires later this month, according to Page Six Hollywood.
Meanwhile, there has been much speculation over the fate of “60 Minutes” executive producer Tanya Simon, whose contract is up this year. Although Simon reportedly resisted airing Garrett’s interview on “60 Minutes” and floated the possibility of placing it on another CBS News program instead, she unltimately convinced her staff to let this one go.
“This just shows how Tanya is worried about her own position,” a CBS source mused. “She’s probably worried about getting layered.”
