Bereaved Father Urges TV Networks to Skip Reality Shows After Lebanon Disaster

Izik Bunzel, whose son, a soldier in the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit, was killed in Gaza, has publicly urged Israeli television channels to cancel reality and entertainment broadcasts next Saturday night. His appeal came after four soldiers were killed in a disaster in Lebanon, at a time when, he said, some families had still not received the news.

Bunzel wrote that in recent months, “we are burying our best sons almost every day,” and said the rapid shift from reports on the fallen to entertainment shows creates a painful sense of detachment. He added that “this routine has become horrible, and it wounds all of our hearts.”

He addressed Keshet, Reshet, and Kan directly, asking them not to air programs such as “Big Brother,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and other entertainment shows on Saturday night. In his view, broadcasting such content on such a painful evening “will be seen by us as a deep contempt for the bereaved families and for the deep pain of the entire nation.”

Bunzel also called on the Israeli public, “from the right and the left, religious and secular,” to understand that the grief is not political, because the fallen soldiers defended all citizens of the country. He urged people not to watch if the shows do air, to turn off the television, or to switch to a channel that chooses to moderate its broadcasts as a sign of solidarity. He said that choosing not to watch is “our consumer and moral power as a people,” and ended by asking that the message be shared, saying that next Saturday night Israelis should choose to stand with bereaved families, not with ratings.