UK billionaire's Israeli TV channel accused of canceling show to please PM Netanyahu

Len Blavatnik, Britain's second-richest man, is facing protests in the UK after allegations emerged that his Israeli TV channel, Channel 13 News, canceled programs to favor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Aviel Lewis, a London-based Israeli and member of the anti-Netanyahu group WeDemocracy, stated that Blavatnik is known in the UK as a supporter of progressive culture and arts. However, the British public is largely unaware of his involvement in what Lewis describes as the regression and corruption of Israeli media.

WeDemocracy plans to hold protests on Sunday at the Tate Modern's Blavatnik wing and the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government. Other cultural institutions associated with Blavatnik may also be targeted, as protesters argue that his media company is compromising press freedom in Israel, reported The Guardian.

Lewis emphasized the potential damage to Blavatnik's reputation in the UK, stating, "We want to make Blavatnik feel uncomfortable."

Blavatnik, who received a knighthood for his donations to British institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Courtauld Institute of Art, and the National Portrait Gallery, also controls businesses such as Warner Music, DAZN, and London's Theatre Royal Haymarket. In Israel, he owns a majority stake in Channel 13 News, which had been one of the few media outlets openly critical of Netanyahu and his administration.

Recently, Channel 13 News appointed Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich, a former politician seen as an ally of Netanyahu, as its chief executive. Following her appointment, a popular investigative news program hosted by journalist Raviv Drucker, who had exposed numerous scandals involving Netanyahu, was canceled. This has led to open rebellion among the channel's journalists, who see the move as evidence of Netanyahu's increasing control over Israeli media.

Haaretz, a liberal Israeli newspaper, condemned the decision to cancel Drucker's show as "purely a political decision, contravening all financial and journalistic logic." Anat Saragusti, head of the freedom of the press division at Israel's journalists' organization, described the situation at Channel 13 News as part of a broader strategy to undermine press freedom.

Blavatnik's stake in Channel 13 is owned by his Access Entertainment business, led by former BBC director of television Danny Cohen. Access Industries, Blavatnik's holding company, has also invested in film production company A24, the interactive art space LightRoom, and successful West End productions like Hamilton and Cabaret.

A spokesperson for Access Industries stated, "Sir Leonard Blavatnik believes in the importance of press freedom in Israel and across the world. He has invested significantly in Israel’s Channel 13 to safeguard its existence and secure the future of free, impartial journalism. The Channel has never had a political agenda, and he has never had editorial input."

The spokesperson added, "It is categorically not the case that Sir Leonard appointed the CEO of News. The decision as to who runs Channel 13 News is a matter for its independent board on which Sir Leonard has no role. Freedom of expression and informed debate are core values of the channel, and this will always remain the case."