Berkovich Apologizes to Pollster Filber: "He Was Right"
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Eyal Berkovich, a radio host, apologized to pollster Shlomo Filber for previously accusing him of lying, admitting Filber's election predictions were accurate. Filber's forecasts for the Netanyahu bloc, initially around 27-30 mandates and later 60 in an exit poll, were significantly higher than most other polls. As results came in, showing the coalition at 54 mandates, Filber's accuracy was widely acknowledged, drawing praise from various media figures.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Eyal Berkovich apologized to pollster Shlomo Filber, admitting Filber's election predictions were correct.
- Filber's forecasts for the Netanyahu bloc were significantly higher than those of most other Israeli pollsters.
- Channel 14's exit poll predicted 60 mandates for the right-wing bloc, while others projected around 50.
- With 70.7% of votes counted, the current coalition stood at 54 mandates, validating Filber's accuracy.
- Media figures, including Itamar Cohen and Yossi Elituv, praised Filber's accurate forecasting.
Radio broadcaster and host Eyal Berkovich apologized on air to Channel 14 pollster Shlomo Filber, admitting Filber was correct in his predictions for the Netanyahu bloc's electoral success. Berkovich stated, "He was right. I take my hat off to him. I apologize for saying he was lying."
Filber had consistently predicted 27-30 mandates for the Netanyahu bloc, a figure significantly higher than most other Israeli polling firms, which projected around 50 mandates for the right-wing bloc. His predictions were often met with criticism and ridicule from other media figures and the public.
However, as the actual election results began to come in, it became clear that Filber's projections were far more accurate. Channel 14's exit poll gave the right-wing bloc 60 mandates, while other polls showed around 50. With approximately 70.7% of votes counted, the current coalition stood at 54 mandates, a number considerably lower than many competing forecasts.
Filber's accurate forecasting has drawn praise from various media personalities, even those not aligned with Channel 14. Former "TheMarker" editor Itamar Cohen suggested Filber deserved a "Israel Prize for media." "Mishpacha" editor Yossi Elituv stated, "We all owe a debt of apology to Mamo Filber. He was the closest to reality."
Channel 12 correspondent Amit Segal acknowledged the significant discrepancy, calling it a "Yom Kippur for most pollsters" and noting the statistical difficulty in explaining the shift in predictions. "Israel Hayom" correspondent Bini Ashkenazi called for explanations from the majority of pollsters whose predictions were inaccurate, while journalist Attila Somfalvi expressed hope that all Israeli pollsters would personally contact Filber to discuss his success.
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