Ayelet Hasson Skips Broadcast Amid Dispute With Public Broadcasting Corporation
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Kan 11 host Ayelet Hasson will not broadcast her program for a second day due to a dispute with the Public Broadcasting Corporation's news management. Hasson claims director Lior Landenberg demanded she read a specific apology verbatim on air, threatening her job if she refused. The conflict arose from comments Hasson made on regional radio about Bedouin women, for which she had already apologized. She reported receiving widespread public support amid the controversy.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Host Ayelet Hasson is absent from Kan 11 broadcasts due to a dispute with news management.
- Hasson claims director Lior Landenberg demanded she read a specific apology verbatim on air.
- The dispute stems from comments Hasson made on regional radio about Bedouin women.
- Hasson stated she has received significant public support during the controversy.
- She had previously apologized for her remarks and received acceptance from the ethics committee.
Ayelet Hasson, a prominent host for Kan 11, announced on Thursday that she would not be presenting her program that evening, marking her second consecutive day off-air. This absence stems from an ongoing dispute with the management of the Public Broadcasting Corporation's news division.
Hasson stated she has been overwhelmed by an unprecedented level of support from citizens across Israel, including soldiers and bereaved families, since the controversy became public. "Citizens from all walks of life. Soldiers, bereaved families. The people of Israel whom I love and am happy to be exposed to their reciprocity towards me. You move me in an extraordinary way, thank you from the bottom of my heart," she wrote in a statement.
The conflict escalated after Hasson claimed that Lior Landenberg, the director of the news division, presented her with an ultimatum on Wednesday. According to Hasson, Landenberg demanded she read a specific apology and clarification verbatim on air, which he had sent her via WhatsApp. She alleged that he threatened her with suspension from her program if she refused.
Hasson argued that this was an attempt to force her to make a personal statement not drafted by her and accused the news management of selective enforcement. She pointed out that the remarks in question were made on a regional radio station, not on Kan 11, and that she had already issued a clarification on air the previous Saturday at the news director's request.
The controversy originated from an interview Hasson gave on Friday to Radio Galey Israel, where she discussed the situation of women in Bedouin society and the results of the 26th Knesset elections. Her comments about Bedouin women drew criticism from Bedouin representatives and social organizations, who deemed them offensive generalizations. Hasson had previously issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, stating she did not intend to offend Bedouin women and apologizing to anyone who was hurt by her words. She noted that the corporation's ethics committee and the corporation itself had accepted her apology, yet the demand to read the dictated text persisted.
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