Channel 14 Journalist Accuses Reporter Shlomi Eldar of Political Campaign Involvement

Channel 14 journalist Yishai Friedman has accused reporter Shlomi Eldar of participating in a political campaign for the "Darcheinu" organization, which Friedman links to activists within the Democratic Party. Eldar confirmed to Friedman that he received payment from the organization for hosting a podcast, which he stated aims to promote the establishment of a state commission of inquiry. Friedman alleged that Eldar's recent investigative report on intelligence warnings before October 7th coincided with his collaboration with "Darcheinu" on a podcast and videos promoting the inquiry issue.

Friedman claimed that the videos featuring Eldar were produced before the report's publication and that "Darcheinu" is currently managed by individuals connected to the Democratic Party. He characterized this as a "political campaign" and questioned whether Eldar had disclosed this collaboration to "Haaretz," the newspaper that published his report. Eldar, however, maintained that the podcast's purpose was to advance the cause of forming a state commission of inquiry.

Friedman further pointed to a post by "HaMivzak HaChevrati" promoting an episode by Eldar discussing failures related to October 7th. He reiterated claims of connections between these entities and Democratic Party activists, suggesting funding originated from the Histadrut labor federation. Friedman described the situation as "the propaganda machine of the Democratic Party," asserting that Eldar is being promoted by various groups as a significant figure in a campaign for Democratic Party activists without proper disclosure or transparency, and that he is being funded for this role.