Channel 12 Accused of Reusing Old Footage in Report on Rabbi Dov Lando

Channel 12 presented old footage of Rabbi Dov Lando's remarks as a new exposé, drawing criticism for allegedly recycling content to incite against the Haredi public during an election period. The report, aired on Monday evening by correspondent Eli Hirschman, featured sharp statements made by Rabbi Lando, which the channel billed as a "rare documentation" revealed in its main broadcast.

However, the material had previously been published by the Haredi website Kikar HaShabbat on February 7, 2025, including the full transcript of the conversation and its context, along with the meeting's documentation. Parts of the same segment were also circulated on another channel in May. Despite this, Channel 12 repackaged the old remarks with a dramatic headline, "Exposé: Leader of the Haredi Public in Unprecedented Attack," without clarifying that the conversation was more than a year and a half old and had been covered by other media outlets since.

The conversation took place during a meeting where Rabbi Lando addressed questions from rabbis of the organization "Lev Shomea" concerning yeshiva students during wartime. The rabbis sought guidance on responding to young men who felt their contribution to society was insufficient and also raised their feelings regarding the dedication of Religious Zionist fighters.

Critics suggest that Channel 12 chose to retrieve old statements from the archives, frame them as a new revelation, and reignite a conflict between the Haredi and Religious Zionist communities, particularly during the ongoing election campaign.

Politicians from the left-wing bloc reacted swiftly. Gadi Eisenkot called the remarks "anti-Zionism in its purest form," while Avigdor Lieberman commented, "They know how to take money from the state." Opposition leader Yair Lapid also stated, "A disgrace to every Jew."