Veteran Foreign Correspondent Gideon Kutz Dies at 78

Veteran Israeli foreign correspondent Gideon Kutz passed away on Sunday in Paris at the age of 78. Kutz had been experiencing health issues for about a year and a half, with intermittent hospitalizations. In early August 2026, he was diagnosed with a rare and difficult-to-detect lymphoma, which progressed rapidly, preventing him from undergoing treatment.

Kutz, who served as the Paris correspondent for Kol Yisrael (The Voice of Israel) radio for decades, covered events in Europe and worldwide for Israeli media outlets. Kan News issued a statement mourning his death, calling him a "symbol of foreign broadcasts" for Kol Yisrael and the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation in Europe for four decades. They described him as "curious, knowledgeable, in-depth, and adventurous," noting his coverage of major conflict zones globally, including stories from Arab nations and Iran.

Born in Poland in 1948 to Holocaust survivors, Kutz immigrated to Israel in 1957. He settled in Paris in 1978 with his wife, journalist and photographer Yafa Eiron-Kutz, while they pursued doctoral studies. They raised their two children in the French capital. Kutz began broadcasting for Kol Yisrael in 1986 and later became the European correspondent for Channel 1. He continued in this role with the establishment of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.

Throughout his extensive career, which also included work for Yediot Ahronot, Channel 2, Globes, and Maariv, Kutz reported from challenging and often inaccessible locations for Israeli journalists. In 2002, he covered the Francophone Summit in Beirut, entering Lebanon as part of French President Jacques Chirac's entourage, only to be expelled after reporting to the Israeli press. He covered pivotal European and global events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the revolutions in Eastern Europe, the Yugoslav and Chechen wars, the Middle East peace process, the Arab Spring, terrorist attacks in Europe, the Ukraine crisis, and nuclear talks with Iran.

In 2008, Kutz was the sole Israeli journalist accompanying French President Nicolas Sarkozy on his visit to Damascus, capturing images from the Syrian capital and close to President Bashar al-Assad. Earlier, in 2001, during Assad's visit to Paris, Kutz famously asked the Syrian president if he would be willing to meet with then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, receiving an affirmative response regarding peace talks.

Kutz also reported from Iran, visiting Tehran in June 2009 as a representative of the Broadcasting Authority to cover the presidential elections and subsequent protests. He described attempts to document events despite police and militia actions against journalists. This was his second visit to Iran in four years.

Beyond his journalism, Kutz was a researcher and historian of Hebrew and Jewish press history in Europe. He was a full professor of communication and culture at Paris 8 University and edited the journal "Kשר" (Kesher) dedicated to the history of Jewish and Israeli press and communication. He also had a passion for writing satire, contributing to performances for Israeli entertainers.