Haim Yavin
Encyclopedia
Haim Yavin is an Israel
i television anchor and documentary filmmaker. He was one of Israel's leading news presenters, associated with the job for so many decades that he was known as "Mr. Television."
, Upper Silesia
, Poland). His family immigrated to Israel. After his marriage to Yosefa, the couple lived in Jerusalem's Talbiya
neighborhood. They currently live in Tel Aviv
.
(lit. "Outlook"), the primetime news roundup on Israel's state television station, Channel 1
, which he helped found. He is known in Israel as "Mr. Television" and dubbed "Israel's Walter Cronkite
" by the American press. He is often perceived as the "voice" of Israel. One of his famous sentences us "ladies and gentlemen – a turnaround!" after Menachem Begin
's Likud
won the 1977 election
. He also served as chief editor
of Mabat.
Yavin sparked political controversy with his five-part documentary
series The Land of the Settlers
, aired on Israel's Channel 2
in May 2005. The program concluded that Israeli settlement
s were endangering Israel, and Israel should withdraw from the West Bank
and Gaza Strip
, with Yavin stating that "Since 1967, we have been brutal conquerors, occupiers, suppressing another people." Israeli settlers were outraged by this partisan approach by a leading newscaster. At the time, Ariel Sharon
's disengagement plan had not yet been implemented, and the series was viewed as propaganda in support of it. The chairman of the Yesha Council
called on Channel One to fire Yavin. Instead, the Israel Broadcasting Authority
signed him on for another year.
In August 2007, Yavin announced his retirement. He read the news for the last time on February 5, 2008.
, for communications.
In 2005, he was voted the 79th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i television anchor and documentary filmmaker. He was one of Israel's leading news presenters, associated with the job for so many decades that he was known as "Mr. Television."
Biography
Heinz Kluger (later Haim Yavin) was born in Beuthen, Oberschlesien, Germany (now BytomBytom
Bytom is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The central-western district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of 2 millions. Bytom is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Bytomka river .The city belongs to the Silesian Voivodeship since...
, Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
, Poland). His family immigrated to Israel. After his marriage to Yosefa, the couple lived in Jerusalem's Talbiya
Talbiya
Talbiya or Talbiyeh , officially Komemiyut, is an upscale neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel, located between Rehavia and Katamon. It was built in the 1920s and 1930s on land purchased from the Greek Patriarchate...
neighborhood. They currently live in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
.
Media career
Between 1968 and 2008, Yavin was the anchor of MabatMabat LaHadashot
Mabat LaHadashot , is the prime time news program on the Public Israeli Channel 1, owned by Israel Broadcasting Authority, which have been between 1968-1991 a monopoly broadcasting, along with its prime time news show....
(lit. "Outlook"), the primetime news roundup on Israel's state television station, Channel 1
Channel 1 (Israel)
Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels in Israel and one of five terrestrial channels in the country...
, which he helped found. He is known in Israel as "Mr. Television" and dubbed "Israel's Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
" by the American press. He is often perceived as the "voice" of Israel. One of his famous sentences us "ladies and gentlemen – a turnaround!" after Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin
' was a politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Before independence, he was the leader of the Zionist militant group Irgun, the Revisionist breakaway from the larger Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah. He proclaimed a revolt, on 1 February 1944,...
's Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
won the 1977 election
Israeli legislative election, 1977
The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...
. He also served as chief editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of Mabat.
Yavin sparked political controversy with his five-part documentary
Television documentary
Documentary television is a genre of television programming that broadcasts documentaries.* Documentary television series, a television series which is made up of documentary episodes....
series The Land of the Settlers
The Land of the Settlers
The Land of the Settlers is a five part documentary series created by Chaim Yavin, who was described by the Arab News as "the Israeli version of America’s Walter Cronkite". With a handheld camera, Yavin traveled throughout his homeland of Israel and interviewed a range of Palestinians and Israelis...
, aired on Israel's Channel 2
Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority
The Second Authority for Television and Radio law was passed by the Knesset in 1990. Its purpose was to establish a new governing-body whose purpose is to facilitate and regulate commercially-operated television and radio broadcasts in Israel...
in May 2005. The program concluded that Israeli settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
s were endangering Israel, and Israel should withdraw from the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
and Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, with Yavin stating that "Since 1967, we have been brutal conquerors, occupiers, suppressing another people." Israeli settlers were outraged by this partisan approach by a leading newscaster. At the time, Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
's disengagement plan had not yet been implemented, and the series was viewed as propaganda in support of it. The chairman of the Yesha Council
Yesha Council
The Yesha Council is an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank , known by the Hebrew acronym Yesha.The Chairman of the Yesha Council is Dani Dayan, elected in July 2007...
called on Channel One to fire Yavin. Instead, the Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority is Israel's state broadcasting network.It grew out of the radio station Kol Yisrael, which made its first broadcast as an independent station on . The name of the organisation operating Kol Yisrael was changed to Israel Broadcasting Service in 1951...
signed him on for another year.
In August 2007, Yavin announced his retirement. He read the news for the last time on February 5, 2008.
Awards
In 1997, Yavin was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, for communications.
In 2005, he was voted the 79th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
See also
- Mabat LaHadashotMabat LaHadashotMabat LaHadashot , is the prime time news program on the Public Israeli Channel 1, owned by Israel Broadcasting Authority, which have been between 1968-1991 a monopoly broadcasting, along with its prime time news show....
("Mabat" news show) - List of Israel Prize recipients
- Israeli legislative election, 1977Israeli legislative election, 1977The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...