Gideon Kutz, Veteran Israeli Broadcaster and Scholar, Dies at 78

Professor Gideon Kutz, a renowned Israeli journalist, media scholar, and former foreign correspondent, passed away on Sunday at the age of 78. Kutz was widely recognized as a legendary reporter for Kol Israel (the former Israel Broadcasting Authority) and served as an international correspondent and commentator for the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.

Born in Łódź, Poland, in 1948, Kutz immigrated to Israel in his childhood. He began his broadcasting career at Kol Israel in 1986, later becoming the network's correspondent in Europe. Throughout his extensive career, he covered pivotal global events, including the Tiananmen Square protests, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Yugoslav and Chechen wars, the Middle East peace process, the Arab Spring, terrorist attacks in Europe, the Ukraine crisis, and Iran nuclear talks.

Kutz also reported from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Lebanon, and covered events such as the "Yellow Vest" protests in Paris and the war in Ukraine. In addition to his journalistic work, he was a scholar and historian specializing in the history of Hebrew and Jewish journalism in Europe. He held a professorship in media and culture at Paris 8 University and was a research fellow at Tel Aviv University.

He served as editor of "Kesher," a journal dedicated to the history of Jewish and Israeli press and media. Kutz was also president of the Association of Foreign Press in France for five years and held the title of honorary president. He is survived by his wife, journalist and photographer Yaffa Eiron-Kutz, and their two children.