Gretchen Ho responds to criticism over past Israeli Embassy engagements

Athlete-turned-broadcast journalist Gretchen Ho has addressed questions about her past interactions with the Israeli Embassy, including a 2022 trip to Israel and a professional engagement with the embassy in 2023.

Ho addressed the issue in a Facebook post on Monday, August 10, after human rights advocate Caloy Conde questioned her previous involvement with the Israeli government and its representatives.

“Yes, I went on a trip to Israel in 2022 upon the invitation of Israel’s Ministry of Tourism. To put some context to this trip, this was in July 2022, more than a year before the current war in Gaza began. I was in the middle of ideating for my travel documentary program, Woman In Action.”

Ho said she saw the trip as a possible opportunity for a story, similar to features other networks had previously produced about the Holy Land.

While the itinerary and venues were arranged by her hosts, Ho said she was not restricted in choosing whom to speak with, what questions to ask, or what she could observe and say during the trip. She also said she was not asked to follow a particular narrative or portray Israel in a prescribed way.

“I went there with an open mind, yet also very much aware that since this was a trip sponsored by their government, what we were NOT shown was as important as what we were shown,” she wrote.

The experience, she said, gave her a better understanding of the complex history and realities involving Israel and Palestine. She ultimately decided not to pursue an episode for “Woman In Action” at the time because she felt the subject needed to be handled with greater sensitivity.

Ho added that part of the arrangement involved attending an Israeli travel expo, which took place before the war. Ho also clarified her professional engagement with the Israeli Embassy in May 2023, which also took place before the war.

“For full context, in May 2023, I accepted a professional engagement to host an Israeli Embassy event, just as I have with other embassies. I also interacted cordially with then-Ambassador Ilan Fluss, including an encounter at UP that has resurfaced online.”

Ho stressed her interactions with the embassy did not determine her work as a journalist.

She pointed to her 2025 interview with Fluss on “Morning Matters” as an example. During the interview, she said she questioned the former ambassador about human rights violations in Gaza, the right of Palestinians to exist, and why Israel was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while Iran was.

At the same time, Ho acknowledged the concerns surrounding her previous interactions with the embassy, particularly as they are being viewed in light of events since October 2023.

“I take questions about journalistic independence seriously,” Ho said, adding that she now recognizes the importance of maintaining not only editorial independence but also enough distance to avoid reasonable perceptions of a conflict.

“There are choices I would approach with greater circumspection today,” she added.

Ho also stated her position on the conflict, saying, “I do not support genocide or the dehumanization of any people. I believe in the dignity and right to life of Palestinians and Israelis alike.”

She said journalists will inevitably encounter people, institutions and perspectives that they may later need to scrutinize. At the same time, they have to continually examine their own boundaries and judgment.

Ho ended her statement by saying, “I am listening to the legitimate concerns being raised, and I will carry what I learn from this into the standards I set for my work moving forward.”

The issue came after Conde expressed concerns about Ho and others who have taken part in similar activities.

“I like Gretchen (she has interviewed me a few times na) and I'm friends with some of those who go on these Israel junkets,” Conde wrote.

Conde questioned the judgment of those participating in similar activities, but said he would view such involvement differently if their resulting work criticized Israel or questioned its methods.