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CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss reportedly intervened to save the job of a pro-Israel foreign correspondent who was set to be laid off — and instead fired Debora Patta, whose coverage in Gaza previously drew the ire of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
Insiders told the Independent that Weiss personally intervened in at least one case — sparing a male foreign correspondent who appealed to her directly and instead putting Patta’s name on the layoff list just hours before the cuts were finalized.
The male correspondent removed from the layoff list had complained to Weiss that he was being sidelined from Gaza coverage because of his strong support for Israel, according to the Independent, which didn’t name him.
The outlet reported that Weiss — who has described herself as a “Zionist fanatic” and is known for her outspoken pro-Israel views — ultimately intervened on his behalf, leading to Patta’s name being added to the list in his place.
Patta, a 12-year veteran of CBS News, is looking into legal action, The Post exclusively reported on Thursday.
The last-minute switch came as Weiss oversaw her first major round of cuts since taking over the newsroom, a purge that saw eight on-air women — including several women of color — dismissed from the network.
Patta, who’s based in Johannesburg, had been told she was safe from the cuts before learning her name had been added to the list, sources told The Independent.
Her dismissal came months after Huckabee publicly criticized the reporter, accusing her of intentionally editing a sitdown with her to craft a “different story than the one they had.”
Huckabee claimed CBS News producers stripped key context from his remarks to make him appear indifferent to reports of starvation in Gaza.
The former Arkansas governor posted the full transcript on the US embassy’s website, showing that CBS cut portions in which he questioned the authenticity of widely circulated photos of malnourished children and argued that some images were misattributed or staged.
Patta, 61, denied any wrongdoing at the time, and colleagues described her to The Independent as a “fearless and fair” correspondent whose reporting from conflict zones — including Syria, Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war — was known for sticking closely to verified facts.
Just before being axed, Patta signed a new three-year contract. She was considered one of the network’s most experienced war correspondents.
Weiss, who joined CBS earlier this month after selling her media outlet The Free Press to Paramount Skydance, has not commented publicly on the layoffs, which affected about 100 employees across the division.
CBS News declined to comment on The Independent report.
A network source previously told The Post the cuts, which affect more than 100 employees, span every major CBS News program.
The network shuttered its Johannesburg bureau, where Patta was based, with coverage shifting to London.
Planning for the reductions had been underway for months, the source added, noting that Weiss began her tenure three weeks ago and that “these decisions were made before her arrival.”
The Post has sought comment from Patta.
The network’s coverage of Israel has historically been a sensitive issue for on-air personnel, as well as current and former executives.
Last year, “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil conducted an interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates about his recent book strongly criticizing Israel.
Dokoupil was reprimanded for pressing Coates about omissions in the book — leading then-Paramount boss Shari Redstone to publicly back the co-anchor.
In January, “60 Minutes” aired a piece quoting former State Department officials as being concerned about the US role in Israel’s war in Gaza.
Redstone, who sold her stake in Paramount as part of the $8 billion merger with Skydance, later said she thought the network had an anti-Israel bias.
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