In a wide-ranging podcast interview, investigative journalist Sefi Ovadia, known for his work on “Uvda,” said he is deeply worried about Israel’s democratic future and about efforts to control the media. He also discussed his reporting on Benjamin Netanyahu, his views on Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett, and the political prospects of Itamar Ben Gvir ahead of elections.
Ovadia said Netanyahu has been locked in a tense professional relationship with him for years, and argued the prime minister failed to make the political gamble needed to stop the judicial overhaul. He said Netanyahu was “under pressure” and “very angry” during the public protests, and told him, “Where are you? This is your responsibility.” He predicted Netanyahu would not win 61 seats, and said a full change of government was still unclear.
He also described what he called an attempt to turn Galei Tzahal into a propaganda outlet during the tenure of acting commander Danny Zaken. Ovadia said the goal was to place Yaakov Bardugo on the station, and that a Netanyahu associate called him and told him to stop fighting Zaken and “broadcast with Bardugo and everything will be fine.” He rejected the offer.
On “Uvda,” Ovadia defended mixing human-interest coverage with hard political reporting, saying the public benefited from understanding Gantz’s wife’s illness while also hearing tough questions about his politics and October 7. He stood by calling former Netanyahu aide Hanni Blivais “a woman of charity,” but said she still helped push Sara Netanyahu’s attacks on families, including sending people to harass a bereaved family in Caesarea.
Ovadia said Ben Gvir is likely to grow stronger among young voters, praised Keshet 12 as a more stable and professional home than Reshet 13, and said attempts to buy or control Channel 13 are part of a broader push for “media on behalf of” the government. He concluded: “I am truly fearful for this place.”
