Veteran Israeli Journalist Gidon Kutz Dies in Paris at 78

Gidon Kutz, a prominent Israeli journalist and academic who spent decades covering Europe from Paris, has died in the French capital at the age of 78. Kutz, who passed away recently, was a long-time correspondent for Kol Israel (Israel Radio) and the First Channel of Israeli Television, as well as a journalist and columnist for the Maariv newspaper.

Born in Lodz, Poland, on July 12, 1948, Kutz immigrated to Israel with his family in 1957. He began his journalism career in Israel before moving to Paris in 1986 to work for Kol Israel. He later became the European correspondent for Israeli TV's First Channel and continued his work from Paris for the public broadcaster Kan after its establishment. He also contributed as an international correspondent and columnist for Maariv.

Beyond his extensive journalism career, Kutz was a respected academic researcher. His scholarly work focused on the history of Hebrew and Jewish journalism, international communications, foreign correspondents, propaganda, and national identity. He held academic positions at Paris 8 University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv University. From 2006 to 2025, he edited the academic journal "Kesher," which focuses on the history of the Jewish press and media. He also led the European Journal of Hebrew Studies.

In France, Kutz served for five years as the head of the Association of Foreign Press and was later named its honorary president. He lived in Paris for the last decades of his life. He is survived by his wife, journalist and photographer Yaffa Iron-Kutz, and their two children.