Ron Ben-Yishai
Encyclopedia
Ron Ben-Yishai is an Israel
i journalist. A veteran war correspondent, Ben-Yishai has covered many military conflicts in several different regions.
in Haifa
in 1961. He joined the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) and served in the Paratroopers Brigade and the Golani Brigade
. He finished an infantry officers course and platoon commanders course, in addition to several command courses. He served in paratroopers field units as a reservist. He received a B.A. in economics and geography from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
in 1967.
He is divorced with three children and lives in Tel Aviv
. He is a lecturer on media and journalism at Tel Aviv University
. In 2008, he was cast in Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman
's animated film Waltz with Bashir
, to retell his role in the 1982 Lebanon War. He speaks Hebrew, English
and German
, and partly Arabic
and French
.
, a position he held until June 1967. During that time he also produced various radio programs. During the War of Attrition
he was Kol Yisrael's military correspondent. During that period he was injured while covering an IDF raid on a Fatah
camp in Petra
, after which he edited Kol Yisrael's current affairs programs. In December 1969 he joined the Israeli Television
. In June 1970 he was wounded in an IDF raid in the Golan Heights, after which he became secretary of the Israeli Television's news board. From 1972 to 1976 he also reported for radio and television from Europe
. He produced and edited various documentaries. In 1973 he covered the Yom Kippur War
. On October 22, he accompanied an Israeli battalion near Ismailia
. As he was leaving, the force was heavily bombarded and dozens of soldiers were wounded, including the paramedics. Under fire, he took the paramedics' equipment and attended the wounded. For that, he was awarded the Chief of Staff Citation
by the Israeli Chief of Staff, Mordechai Gur
, in September 1975.
He produced and edited a television special on the lessons of the war. He covered the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
in 1974 and also travelled to Portugal to make a documentary about the Marranos or secret Jews. From 1978 to 1981 he was Yediot Aharonot's political correspondent in Washington DC. Meanwhile he was a commentator for ABC
. In 1981 he returned to the Israeli Television as a military correspondent. He covered the 1982 Lebanon War
. In September, he informed the Israeli Minister of Defense, Ariel Sharon
, of "an alleged massacre being committed by the Phalangists in the Sabra and Shatila camps in Beirut
". He was the first journalist to enter the camps after the Sabra and Shatila massacre
. In 2008, after winning a lifetime achievement award, he named it the most important achievement of his career.
In 1983 he was appointed commander and chief editor of the Israel Army Radio
, a position he held until 1985. He covered the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. After leaving the Israel Army Radio, he became a commentator and reporter on military affairs for Yediot Aharonot, and was a correspondent for Time Magazine. He also edited and hosted, with Ram Evron, a talk show called Ze HaZman ("this is the time") on the Israeli Television from 1985 to 1987. He covered the Soviet war in Afghanistan
and produced a film that was later broadcast on the NBC Nightly News
in 1989. In 1989 he covered the drug war in Colombia
for Yediot Aharonot, Time Magazine and the Israeli Television. During the Gulf War
, he was a military correspondent on the Israeli Channel 2. In 1991 he covered the Kurdish refugees in Turkey
and Iraq
for Yediot Aharonot and Channel 2. In 1992 he covered the Nagorno-Karabakh War
and the War in Yugoslavia. From 1992 to 1993 he was Yediot Aharonot's correspondent in Washington. During that time he covered the Peace process in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. In 1993 he covered northern Iraq. From 1993 to 1994 he edited Reshet Hokeret ("Reshet investigates"), an investigative program on Channel 2. From 1994 to 1996 he reported for Yediot Aharonot. From June 1995 to June 1996 he was chief editor of Davar
until it was shut down. In September 1996 he became a military commentator for Yediot Aharonot. In 1999 he covered the War in Kosovo, where he was injured. In 2000 he covered the Second Chechen War
. From 2001 to 2002 he was military commentator for Channel 1. In October 2002 he became a commentator for Globes
. In 2007, after Operation Orchard
, he traveled to Syria and visited Damascus
. Upon his return, he was questioned by the Israeli police, due to Syria being an "enemy state".
In 2004 he was appointed spokesman for the President of Israel
, Moshe Katsav
. He resigned in 2005. In 2002 he was sued by Mordechai Vanunu
. Vaanunu claimed that Ben-Yishai wrote in 1999 that Vanunu gave the Hamas
know-how on bomb-making while he was in prison. Ben-Yishai said he was quoting the head of the Shin Bet, Ami Ayalon
, and was to enjoy the good faith and truth defenses. The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court accepted Ben-Yishai's claims and dismissed the case.
Award in 1969, the Kinor David Award for Best Documentary in 1978 and Journalist of the year by the Israeli newspaper editors in 1989. In 2008 he was given a lifetime achievement award in the Eilat News Conference, along with Haim Yavin
and the late Tommy Lapid.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i journalist. A veteran war correspondent, Ben-Yishai has covered many military conflicts in several different regions.
Biography
Ben-Yishai was born in Jerusalem in 1943. He graduated from the military boarding school near the Hebrew Reali SchoolHebrew Reali School
The Hebrew Reali School of Haifa , located in Haifa, Israel, is one of the country's oldest private schools.-History:...
in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
in 1961. He joined the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
(IDF) and served in the Paratroopers Brigade and the Golani Brigade
Golani Brigade
The Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. Its symbol is a green tree on a yellow background, and its soldiers wear a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the...
. He finished an infantry officers course and platoon commanders course, in addition to several command courses. He served in paratroopers field units as a reservist. He received a B.A. in economics and geography from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
in 1967.
He is divorced with three children and lives 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...
. He is a lecturer on media and journalism at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
. In 2008, he was cast in Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman
Ari Folman
Ari Folman is an Israeli film director, screenwriter and film score composer.-Biography:Ari Folman was born in Haifa to Holocaust survivors. His wife is also a film director...
's animated film Waltz with Bashir
Waltz with Bashir
Waltz with Bashir is a 2008 Israeli animated documentary film written and directed by Ari Folman. It depicts Folman in search of his lost memories from the 1982 Lebanon War....
, to retell his role in the 1982 Lebanon War. He speaks Hebrew, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and partly Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
Journalism career
In June 1966 he began working as a financial reporter for Kol YisraelKol Yisrael
Kol Yisrael is Israel's public domestic and international radio service, operated as a division of the Israel Broadcasting Authority.-History:...
, a position he held until June 1967. During that time he also produced various radio programs. During the War of Attrition
War of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
he was Kol Yisrael's military correspondent. During that period he was injured while covering an IDF raid on a Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
camp in Petra
Petra
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...
, after which he edited Kol Yisrael's current affairs programs. In December 1969 he joined the Israeli Television
Channel 1 (Israel)
Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels in Israel and one of five terrestrial channels in the country...
. In June 1970 he was wounded in an IDF raid in the Golan Heights, after which he became secretary of the Israeli Television's news board. From 1972 to 1976 he also reported for radio and television from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He produced and edited various documentaries. In 1973 he covered the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
. On October 22, he accompanied an Israeli battalion near Ismailia
Ismaïlia
-Notable natives:*Osman Ahmed Osman, a famous and influential Egyptian engineer, contractor, entrepreneur, and politician, was born in this town on 6 April 1917....
. As he was leaving, the force was heavily bombarded and dozens of soldiers were wounded, including the paramedics. Under fire, he took the paramedics' equipment and attended the wounded. For that, he was awarded the Chief of Staff Citation
Israeli Military decorations
The Israeli Military decorations are the decorations awarded to soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces who exhibit extraordinary bravery and courage....
by the Israeli Chief of Staff, Mordechai Gur
Mordechai Gur
Following his retirement from the IDF, Gur was appointed as the general manager of Kur Mechanica company. In 1981 he was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Alignment. Re-elected in 1984, he served as Minister of Health and was also a member of the Knesset's Security and Foreign Affairs...
, in September 1975.
He produced and edited a television special on the lessons of the war. He covered the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
in 1974 and also travelled to Portugal to make a documentary about the Marranos or secret Jews. From 1978 to 1981 he was Yediot Aharonot's political correspondent in Washington DC. Meanwhile he was a commentator for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. In 1981 he returned to the Israeli Television as a military correspondent. He covered the 1982 Lebanon War
1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War , , called Operation Peace for Galilee by Israel, and later known in Israel as the Lebanon War and First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon...
. In September, he informed the Israeli Minister of Defense, 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....
, of "an alleged massacre being committed by the Phalangists in the Sabra and Shatila camps in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
". He was the first journalist to enter the camps after the Sabra and Shatila massacre
Sabra and Shatila massacre
The Sabra and Shatila massacre took place in the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut, Lebanon between September 16 and September 18, 1982, during the Lebanese civil war. Palestinian and Lebanese civilians were massacred in the camps by Christian Lebanese Phalangists while the camp...
. In 2008, after winning a lifetime achievement award, he named it the most important achievement of his career.
In 1983 he was appointed commander and chief editor of the Israel Army Radio
Israel Army Radio
Army Radio or Galei Tzahal known in Israel by its acronym Galatz , is a nationwide Israeli radio network operated by the Israel Defense Forces....
, a position he held until 1985. He covered the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. After leaving the Israel Army Radio, he became a commentator and reporter on military affairs for Yediot Aharonot, and was a correspondent for Time Magazine. He also edited and hosted, with Ram Evron, a talk show called Ze HaZman ("this is the time") on the Israeli Television from 1985 to 1987. He covered the Soviet war in Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
and produced a film that was later broadcast on the NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
in 1989. In 1989 he covered the drug war in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
for Yediot Aharonot, Time Magazine and the Israeli Television. During the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, he was a military correspondent on the Israeli Channel 2. In 1991 he covered the Kurdish refugees in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
for Yediot Aharonot and Channel 2. In 1992 he covered the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Nagorno-Karabakh War
The Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
and the War in Yugoslavia. From 1992 to 1993 he was Yediot Aharonot's correspondent in Washington. During that time he covered the Peace process in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. In 1993 he covered northern Iraq. From 1993 to 1994 he edited Reshet Hokeret ("Reshet investigates"), an investigative program on Channel 2. From 1994 to 1996 he reported for Yediot Aharonot. From June 1995 to June 1996 he was chief editor of Davar
Davar
Davar was a Hebrew-language daily newspaper published in the Mandate Palestine and Israel between 1925 and May 1996.-History:Davar was established by Moshe Beilinson and Berl Katznelson, with Katznelson as its first editor. The first edition was published on 1 June 1925 under the name Davar - Iton...
until it was shut down. In September 1996 he became a military commentator for Yediot Aharonot. In 1999 he covered the War in Kosovo, where he was injured. In 2000 he covered the Second Chechen War
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus, was launched by the Russian Federation starting 26 August 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ....
. From 2001 to 2002 he was military commentator for Channel 1. In October 2002 he became a commentator for Globes
Globes
Globes is a Hebrew language daily evening financial newspaper, published in Israel. According to TGI 2009 media survey Globes' market share rose 15% over the year to 4.4%. Its main competitors in printed media are TheMarker of Haaretz group and Calcalist published by Yedioth Ahronoth Group...
. In 2007, after Operation Orchard
Operation Orchard
Operation Orchard was an Israeli airstrike on a nuclear reactor in the Deir ez-Zor region of Syria carried out just after midnight on September 6, 2007. The White House and Central Intelligence Agency later confirmed that American intelligence had also indicated the site was a nuclear facility...
, he traveled to Syria and visited Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. Upon his return, he was questioned by the Israeli police, due to Syria being an "enemy state".
In 2004 he was appointed spokesman for the President of Israel
President of Israel
The President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical ceremonial figurehead role, with the real executive power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister. The current president is Shimon Peres who took office on 15 July 2007...
, Moshe Katsav
Moshe Katsav
Moshe Katsav is an Israeli politician. He served as the eighth President of Israel, a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset, and a Cabinet Minister in its government....
. He resigned in 2005. In 2002 he was sued by Mordechai Vanunu
Mordechai Vanunu
Mordechai Vanunu ; is a former Israeli nuclear technician who, citing his opposition to weapons of mass destruction, revealed details of Israel's nuclear weapons program to the British press in 1986. He was subsequently lured to Italy by a Mossad agent, where he was drugged and kidnapped by...
. Vaanunu claimed that Ben-Yishai wrote in 1999 that Vanunu gave the Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
know-how on bomb-making while he was in prison. Ben-Yishai said he was quoting the head of the Shin Bet, Ami Ayalon
Ami Ayalon
Amihai "Ami" Ayalon is an Israeli politician and a former member of the Knesset for the Labor Party. He was previously head of the Shin Bet, Israel's secret service, and commander-in-chief of the Navy...
, and was to enjoy the good faith and truth defenses. The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court accepted Ben-Yishai's claims and dismissed the case.
Awards and recognition
He won the Shani Award for "Best report from the Battlefield" in 1968, the CEO of Israel Broadcasting AuthorityIsrael 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...
Award in 1969, the Kinor David Award for Best Documentary in 1978 and Journalist of the year by the Israeli newspaper editors in 1989. In 2008 he was given a lifetime achievement award in the Eilat News Conference, along with Haim Yavin
Haim Yavin
Haim Yavin , is an Israeli 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:...
and the late Tommy Lapid.
External links
- Ron Ben-Yishai's opinion columns on YnetnewsYnetnewsYnetnews is the online English language Israeli news website of Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel’s most-read newspaper, and the Hebrew Israel news portal, Ynet...