Veteran Journalist Rina Matzliach Reflects on Career, Media Ethics
Veteran Israeli journalist Rina Matzliach, in a recent interview with Omri Assenheim, reflected on her career, personal life, and the state of Israeli journalism. Matzliach spoke candidly about the emotional toll of retiring from her long-standing career, describing it as a difficult but ultimately freeing decision. She also discussed her personal choices regarding relationships and family, acknowledging both the freedom and the loneliness that can accompany them.
Matzliach recounted her early career challenges as the sole woman on a panel discussing security and politics, emphasizing her refusal to back down from male colleagues and her consistent willingness to voice her opinions, regardless of criticism or attacks. This led her to discuss her views on the current media landscape, differentiating between journalists who serve the public by critiquing the government and those who use journalism to advance personal ideologies. She specifically contrasted her approach with that of Amit Segal, stating she entered journalism as a public servant while Segal, in her view, sought to promote an ideology.
She criticized what she perceives as a shift in Israeli media towards being more sensational, political, and tribal, where the source of a statement is prioritized over its content. Matzliach also shared pointed opinions on several public figures. She expressed a lack of respect for Boaz Bismuth, calling him "not very smart." Regarding the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community, she described experiencing "post-traumatic stress" and accused their leadership, particularly the Shas party, of betraying voters and attempting to turn Israel into a religious state, despite a secular majority.
Matzliach detailed her strained relationship with Itamar Ben-Gvir, whom she had known since he was 15, citing an incident at a cemetery on Memorial Day as the breaking point. She accused him of disrupting her family's memorial ceremony for her fallen brother. She also spoke about facing years of incitement and threats from Likud and Benjamin Netanyahu's circle, describing it as an organized public lynching.
Discussing Benjamin Netanyahu, Matzliach recalled confronting him about unfulfilled promises regarding Hamas and identified the deep political polarization under his leadership as his most significant historical failing, even more so than the October 7th attacks. She described his supporters as a "cult" and reiterated a controversial past statement where she suggested his voters would support him even if he committed a grave offense against their family, a statement for which she was previously suspended but now stands by.
Matzliach also touched upon her private battle with breast cancer, wearing a wig to continue broadcasting. She concluded by expressing a sense of fulfillment from her life and career, stating she has "done it all." She defined her ideal of journalism as being free and unafraid to ask difficult questions, rather than seeking popularity or aligning with political camps, suggesting that outlets like Channel 14 could learn from this approach.
