Ofira Asayag on Eyal Berkovic: “He Sent Me Harsh Words, and I Blocked Him Right Away”

The television partnership, which followed years of friendship, between Ofira Asayag and Eyal Berkovic ended three years ago on a sour note. In an honest and open conversation on “Ma Be’emet Kara Sham?”, Asayag speaks about the messages he sent her when he saw her alone on screen for the first time, how she responded, and what happened when they were offered a chance to reunite.

After years of friendship and radio collaboration, in 2017 Ofira Asayag and Eyal Berkovic decided it was time to bring that relationship to television as well. After about six years of broadcasting together every Friday, October 7 came and changed everything. Following the change in the broadcast schedule, the show was taken off the air temporarily, and when they were offered the chance to broadcast at night, Asayag agreed and Berkovic refused.

In an interview with Erez Tal on “Ma Be’emet Kara Sham?” (tomorrow, after the news, Keshet 12), she describes how he reacted when he saw her on screen and when she knew it was over between them. When Asayag returned to broadcasting, the hurt Berkovic decided to say what was on his mind: “After he saw me on screen once, he sent me a message that, just for my children, I’m not repeating the words he used there. They were very harsh words, and at that moment I blocked him on WhatsApp and Instagram,” she says.

“He didn’t like the fact that I was sitting with others, from his point of view I ruined the brand when I went on television without him,” Ofira says of those who worked with her on screen during those days, including Me’ayan Adam and Israel Katorza. The separation was still temporary then, but when they wanted to bring the two back in the regular format, Asayag explains that the professional partnership had ended for good: “It ended when, after I had been without him for two months, we were invited back to Friday at 18:00, and he said he wasn’t coming back.”