Ex-Hospital Spokesperson Slams Influencer Karin Gideon

Avi Shushan, former spokesperson for Ichilov Hospital and a panelist on "The Patriots," has escalated a public feud with media personality and influencer Karin Gideon. The dispute reignited after Gideon criticized Shushan, a contestant on the new season of "Survivor," referencing a highly publicized confrontation between them five years ago. Gideon had attacked Shushan following his appearance on the "Survivor" premiere, stating, "Too bad you weren't fired before I gave birth to Haim. This is the person responsible for Ichilov going after me for two hundred in the window affair." She also called him "the villain of the season."

The original conflict began in January 2021, when Gideon, after giving birth to her first daughter at Ichilov Hospital, complained about the maternity ward's conditions, specifically the lack of a window in her room. The hospital responded sharply at the time, with Shushan, then the hospital's spokesperson, involved in a response that caused public controversy. Shushan has now shared his account of the events, stating the hospital was in chaos during the third wave of COVID-19, with full intensive care units and dozens of ventilated patients.

Shushan claimed he initially considered not responding to Gideon's complaints due to the hospital's overwhelming workload. He initially thought Gideon was in a COVID-19 maternity ward and felt sympathy, but later learned she was in a newly opened, regular maternity ward. He then attacked Gideon, calling her "spoiled and privileged" for expecting VIP treatment in a public hospital and for "wildly slandering" staff and the institution over a window.

Shushan stated that hospital staff urged him to respond forcefully to Gideon's claims, quoting them as saying, "Issue the response. Don't be afraid and don't pity her. We won't tolerate such attacks." He added, "And what can I do, the hospital's image is more important to me, so I responded, and I responded strongly, exactly as she deserved, and at that moment her story ended."

He further characterized Gideon as a symbol of a "low-genre of reality show rejects and Z-list celebrities" who believe they are entitled to everything due to their fame. Shushan concluded his Instagram stories by telling Gideon, "Ma'am, look in the mirror for once," and added that her absence from television is due to her being an "unbearable girl with a terrible personality."