Ayelet Hasson Resigns from Public Broadcasting Corporation Citing Censorship

Journalist Ayelet Hasson announced on Tuesday her decision to leave her position at the Public Broadcasting Corporation, stating she would not be part of a system that attempts to silence segments of the Israeli public to appease a specific faction. Hasson explained on her X account that she had remained with the corporation out of a deep belief in the importance of broadcasting diverse voices, viewing it as a journalistic and public mission to represent all parts of Israeli society. However, she increasingly felt that instead of protecting free speech, some within the corporation sought to please a particular group, even at the expense of suppressing other viewpoints.

Hasson cited a recent ultimatum, demanding she read a dictated apology on air, as proof of the erosion of journalistic independence within the corporation. She emphasized that the issue is not about her personally, but about the desire to silence a significant portion of the public that funds public broadcasting and deserves to have its voice heard, even when inconvenient for those in charge. She asserted that public broadcasting belongs to all Israeli citizens, not to any single faction, and should not be used to appease one group over another.

She concluded by stating she stayed as long as she believed she could fulfill her journalistic mission independently and without fear. Hasson is departing the corporation but not her journalistic mission, her viewers, or her commitment to asking difficult questions and amplifying voices that others prefer to ignore or suppress. The controversy reportedly began after Hasson made remarks about Bedouin women in the Negev, leading to the ultimatum from News Division Director Lior Landenberg to read a specific apology or face not hosting her program.