Veteran Health Commentator Hila Alroi Asked to Resign from Channel 13 Amid Medical Leave

Hila Alroi, a respected health commentator at Israel's Channel 13 News who has served for 18 years since the days of Channel 10, was asked to resign from her position last month by CEO Tali Ben-Ovadia. The request came at a sensitive time, shortly after Alroi informed senior Channel 13 staff, including Deputy CEO Dana Shabtai and chief correspondent Tal Zarviv, that she was about to undergo a complex medical procedure involving surgery and pathological testing.

On June 7, Ben-Ovadia summoned Alroi to a meeting and told her, "We need to part ways," citing that Alroi did not fit into the news edition. Alroi countered that this decision was solely the CEO's and that she had the power to direct the news editor to include more of Alroi's reports. During the meeting, Alroi explained she had been preoccupied with medical tests ahead of her surgery, which Ben-Ovadia claimed she was unaware of, telling Alroi to "forget the conversation." Alroi insisted the matter could not be forgotten and requested to discuss it after receiving her pathology results.

Alroi underwent surgery on June 15. Less than 24 hours later, while still recovering and before receiving her medical results, Ben-Ovadia sent her a WhatsApp message stating, "Following our conversation, as we agreed, we need to discuss the details," without inquiring about her condition. Alroi firmly responded that she was on a three-week medical leave and intended to return to work afterward, denying any agreement to leave the company.

Channel 13 stated they wished Alroi a full recovery and appreciated her years of service. They explained that the company is undergoing a deep renewal process and that Alroi was personally informed about the intention to end her employment before her medical leave. Given her upcoming medical procedure, the company decided to delay the termination until after her leave, noting she waived her right to a hearing. The reasons for ending her employment were communicated to Alroi but were not disclosed publicly due to privacy concerns.

Separately, it was reported that Netanyahu is considering reserving journalist Natali Shem Tov for the Likud party list in the Knesset elections.