Channel 13 Suspends Host Eyal Berkovich Amid Racism Row
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
News 13 suspended host Eyal Berkovich following racist remarks made on air. The channel stated his comments were unacceptable and did not align with its values. The suspension follows a recent incident where Berkovich questioned the credentials of a newly elected Arab-American senator and made disparaging remarks about Arab politicians. This is the latest in a series of controversies involving Berkovich, including a heated exchange with fellow host Lucy Aharish.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- News 13 suspended host Eyal Berkovich for making unacceptable racist remarks on air.
- Berkovich questioned the doctorate of a newly elected Arab-American senator and insulted Arab politicians.
- The channel stated Berkovich's comments were unacceptable and did not align with company values.
- This suspension follows a previous on-air clash between Berkovich and host Lucy Aharish.
- The duration of Berkovich's suspension and the fate of his pre-recorded interview remain undecided.
News 13 has suspended prominent host Eyal Berkovich following a series of controversial remarks, the channel announced. After an explanatory meeting with Berkovich, the station decided on his immediate suspension from broadcasting, though the duration remains unclear. The future of an interview Berkovich conducted with Omri Assnaim, which was previously removed from the schedule due to earlier controversy involving Berkovich, is also undecided.
News 13 stated, "Freedom of expression and diversity of opinions are cornerstones of free journalism, but they do not justify racist statements. The remarks made yesterday on the program Moriah and Berkovich are unacceptable and do not align with the company's values." The decision came after a clarification meeting with Berkovich, leading to his immediate suspension.
The controversy stems from several statements attributed to Berkovich. Most recently, during a segment on Moriah Asraf's and Berkovich's program, they spoke with News 13's U.S. correspondent Suliman Maswadeh about Dr. Abdul Al-Sayed, who won a Michigan Senate election. Berkovich questioned Al-Sayed's doctorate, asking, "Does everyone there get the title doctor, did you check if he is really a doctor?" When Maswadeh attempted to confirm Al-Sayed's credentials, Berkovich added, "They also call Ahmad Tibi a doctor... so they say, let him show the certificate."
These comments sparked immediate backlash on social media. Former News 13 journalist Yosef Israel criticized the remarks as "pathetic racism," while political commentator Barak Ravid, formerly of News 13, decried a "serious problem of racism" at the station, criticizing the silence of other journalists as "embarrassing" and enabling the behavior.
This is not the first recent controversy involving Berkovich. Previously, during a live broadcast discussing Zionist mandates and unity excluding Arab parties, host Lucy Aharish clashed with Berkovich and Asraf. After the cameras stopped rolling, the argument escalated, with Aharish calling them "racists." Berkovich reportedly responded, "Calm down, you're not in the village here." Aharish left the studio and later returned with a monologue addressing the incident.
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