Steve Walz writes for The Jewish Press blog:
Heinz Kluger a.ka. Chaim Yavin, the "Walter Cronkite" of Israel's Channel One "Mabat" TV news program anchored his last broadcast earlier this week, a position he held for 40 years. Though he was considered the model for today's Israeli prime-time anchorman, Mr. Yavin was far from a "pareve" personality.
He held onto the position way too long, becoming a prime-time fossil in the process. As Channels 2 and 10 launched their American-style news broadcasts with two anchors (one man, one woman) and high-tech studios, Mr. Yavin's broadcasts dropped like a rock in the ratings, losing nearly 50% of viewers during the past 5 years.
At a time when Channel One, a quasi-government entity like the BBC and PBS, was losing tens of millions of dollars a year, Mr. Yavin continued to earn a hefty six-figure annual income (dollar wise). He never asked for a pay cut in order to preserve jobs at Channel One.
Mr. Yavin admitted earlier this week that he was proud of politicizing his broadcasts especially thosed that bashed the settlers and their settlement movement. He claims that this was the policy of Israel Radio as well. Which means, that Israel Radio, also owned by the Israeli government, encouraged the brainwashing of its listening audience.
Though Mr. Yavin was renowned for his feisty on-camera battles with former PM Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-Likud apparatchik Ehud Olmert, Yavin reveled in his own self-importance rather than presenting journalistic facts. If Yavin was the model for Israeli journalism, then he bears some responsibility for the low-level of Israeli journalism that exists in both the print and electronic media.
Respect for longevity is one thing. But warping the truth in order to stigmatize a group of pioneering Jews who only wish to live in peace and harmony within the borders of Eretz Yisroel is self-hating political advocacy, not journalism.
Shalom and good riddance, Chaim.
