News 13 Journalist Baruch Kra Slams Channel 14 as 'Lies and Incitement'

A public dispute erupted between Israeli news channels 13 and 14 following comments made on a Channel 13 panel regarding Gadi Eisenkot and a vote on the removal of former MK Ofer Cassif. After journalist Boaz Golan attacked the Channel 13 panel, journalist Baruch Kra responded with his own criticism, outlining what he believes differentiates the two outlets.

Kra accused Channel 14 of spreading falsehoods, stating, "What is the difference between us and the channel of lies? Between this charlatan and inciter?" He asserted that Channel 13's strength lies in "adherence to facts." Kra explained his approach: "When I identify a mistake by an interviewee or a panel member, I stop the discussion and correct it. This is how I treat myself."

Golan had previously criticized the Channel 13 panel, citing a statement by Kra that Eisenkot "was not an MK," with another panelist adding, "If he were, he would have voted." This was in reference to a discussion where it was claimed Eisenkot voted against Cassif's removal.

Kra admitted to a misstatement, clarifying that Eisenkot did not attend the plenum for that specific vote, though he had initially said Eisenkot "was not an MK at all." Kra explained this was a mix-up related to a disqualification issue during which Eisenkot was indeed not an MK. He stated, "This is the place to say that in doing so, I corrected the fake news of Channel 14 with my own factual error, which likely stemmed from the aforementioned confusion." Kra concluded that the key difference is the willingness to correct errors, contrasting his self-correction with Channel 14's alleged propagation of untruths.