Journalist Haim Levinson Details Bitter Exit from Haaretz Newspaper

Israeli journalist Haim Levinson has spoken out about the circumstances surrounding his dismissal from the Haaretz newspaper after 17 years, describing the experience as "despicable" and "inhumane." In a recent podcast interview, Levinson addressed his termination, which followed revelations in October 2025 that he had received payments from the company Perception, owned by strategic consultant Israel Einhorn, who is implicated in the "Bilad" affair. Levinson acknowledged his wrongdoing in not disclosing this additional work to his editors, stating, "I lied to my editors, I paid a price. In some ways it's a lie, and whoever is angry at me is right to be angry at me. We sinned, we betrayed, we stole."

Despite taking responsibility for his part, Levinson expressed deep hurt over how his dismissal was handled by the newspaper's management. He felt the paper, which he described as advocating for humanism, lacked humanity in its treatment of him. Levinson recounted that the termination notice offered no thanks for his years of service and was quickly released to the media, preventing him from explaining the situation to his children promptly. He was particularly offended that his newspaper subscription was immediately canceled on the day of his firing, which he saw as a sign of their character.

Levinson also criticized former colleagues who he claims quickly tweeted against him to demonstrate loyalty to the newspaper's management. Regarding his departure from his role alongside Ofira Asayag on Channel 12's "Ofira and Levinson," he clarified that this was his initiative, as he felt he could not continue as if nothing had happened after trust was lost. He stated, "People lost their trust in me and they are right."

Despite his grievances, Levinson has decided not to pursue legal action for damages, which he estimated could be hundreds of thousands of shekels, in order to preserve his mental well-being and avoid lengthy battles. He has since moved on and is now hosting a new morning podcast with the "All in" network, stating, "I saw those bad energies, at that moment I drew a line and said what was, was. I'm looking forward."