Veteran Israeli Journalist and Broadcaster Menashe Raz Dies at 80

Menashe Raz, a veteran Israeli journalist, director, and broadcaster, passed away on Thursday at the age of 80. Raz was a prominent figure in Israeli public broadcasting for decades, serving as a reporter, anchor, editor, and director across radio and television. He began his career in the Israel Defense Forces' radio station, Galei Tzahal, as a military reporter, editor, and program host.

After his military service, Raz moved to Kol Yisrael (the national public radio broadcaster), where he hosted news broadcasts and music programs, including the iconic sports show "Shirim Ve'Sha'arim" (Songs and Gates), which he was the first to host. He later joined the nascent Israeli television in 1972 as a news reporter and documentary filmmaker. During his extensive tenure at the First Channel, he was part of the generation that shaped the channel's news programming and hosted "Mabat La'Chadashot" (Looking at the News).

Raz also received the Kinor David Award in 1979 for best documentary film of the year for a series he directed on the state of Israeli prisons. His work extended to documenting security operations, including his involvement in the secret operation to airlift Ethiopian Jews from Sudan, a project he worked on for over three years, with the collected materials classified as "top secret." He also appeared as himself in the 1986 film "Shtei Etzba'ot Mitzdon" (Two Fingers of Sidon), portraying a reporter covering events in Lebanon.

In the early 2000s, Raz returned to television, anchoring news updates on Channel 10 during the Iraq War and participating in morning shows. He also shared his experience by lecturing in film and television at Tel Aviv University and other academic institutions. Raz's passing marks the end of a career spanning over five decades, from the early days of Israeli broadcasting to the multi-channel era.