In an opinion piece published Thursday evening, commentator Chaim Levinson argues that Channel 14 falsely reported that Defense Minister Israel Katz dismissed OC Central Command Avi Bluth, and later retroactively softened the claim. Levinson describes the channel as a self-isolating bubble that serves Likud primary politics at the expense of broader public trust, and warns that its behavior will cost the right at the ballot box.
Commentator Chaim Levinson published a scathing critique of Channel 14 on Thursday, focusing on the channel's handling of a report that Defense Minister Israel Katz had fired OC Central Command Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth. According to Levinson, the channel initially ran a sensational headline declaring the dismissal unprecedented, then later — after the story proved false — the same reporter explained the incident was not a dismissal at all, attributing the confusion to pressure from the chief of staff.
Levinson, a veteran journalist who says he consumes news only from Channel 14 while in the U.S., argues the channel functions as a primary stage for Likud primaries, blurring the line between pundits and politicians. He claims the channel's obsession with the case of a young detention facility inmate (Yinon Derdrik) — who was reportedly seeking house arrest — drove the coverage, and that when the dismissal story collapsed, the channel blamed the left.
He warns that Prime Minister Netanyahu, whom Levinson says understands Channel 14's electoral danger, is trapped by his reliance on the channel and cannot pivot to broader audiences. The column presents Channel 14's behavior as a symptom of a right-wing information ecosystem that rewards the most extreme voices and alienates mainstream voters.
2 developments
- StrongChannel 14 poll: Religious Zionism gains, Likud weakens, Netanyahu jumps in suitability
- DevelopingChannel 14 poll: Bennett's party nears electoral threshold, continues decline
- DevelopingHaaretz Columnist: Netanyahu Left With No Strategy, Only Incitement as Multifront Crisis Deepens
- DevelopingChannel 14 poll: Bennett collapses to single digits as downward trend continues
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