Channel 13 suspends Eyal Berkovic, saying free expression is no license for racist remarks
Channel 13 (Israel)Israeli television channel that airs Moria and Berko; statement issued by Channel 13 News
Channel 13 says freedom of expression is no license for racist remarks, calls what was said on Moria and Berko unacceptable and inconsistent with its values, and says Berkovic has been suspended from broadcasting immediately after a clarification meeting.
“Freedom of expression and a diversity of opinions are among the cornerstones of a free press, but they are no license for racist remarks. The things said yesterday on the program Moria and Berko are unacceptable and inconsistent with the company's values. As a result, a clarification meeting was held with Eyal Berkovic, at the end of which it was decided to suspend him from broadcasting immediately (Translated from Hebrew. Original: חופש הביטוי וריבוי הדעות הם מאבני היסוד של עיתונות חופשית, אך אינם מהווים הכשר לאמירות גזעניות. הדברים שנאמרו אתמול בתוכנית מוריה וברקו אינם מקובלים ולא עולים בקנה אחד עם ערכי החברה. בעקבות כך נערכה עם איל ברקוביץ' שיחת הבהרה ובסיומה הוחלט על השעייתו המיידית משידור)”
Reporting
Reporting
Other statements by Channel 13 (Israel) in this case
- Channel 13 says Tibi's claims have no substance and viewers could tell he is a doctorLater: Challenged the characterization
Where this statement fits
Channel 13 suspends Eyal Berkovic after he questions on air whether Ahmad Tibi is a doctor; Tibi threatens to sue
Israel's Channel 13 suspended host Eyal Berkovic after he asked on air whether Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed and Knesset member Ahmad Tibi are really doctors and said Tibi should bring his diploma. The channel called the remarks racist. Tibi demanded an on-air apology and NIS 150,000 for student scholarships, and the channel told Walla his claims had no substance because viewers could tell Tibi is a doctor.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Hebrew-language ynet report that first disclosed Channel 13's suspension of Berkovic on November 8, 2026. It quotes his remark about Tibi's diploma, the full statement from Channel 13 News and the Joint List's account that the channel's management apologized to Tibi by phone, and says Berkovic had not yet responded.
Reporting
About this source
Hebrew-language Walla report on the suspension. It says Tibi completed medical school at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1983 and was licensed as a physician in 1986, recounts Berkovic's clash with anchor Lucy Aharish during the election-night broadcast and recalls that Keshet 12 took his show with Ofira Asayag off the air for a week in August 2018.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Ynet first reported the suspension on November 8, the day after the broadcast, and said the decision followed Berkovic's remarks casting doubt on Tibi's title of doctor.
After the quotation
The channel did not say how long the suspension would last. The Joint List told ynet that the channel's management had apologized to Tibi in a phone call and that Tibi wanted an apology on the program itself.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Berkovic's November 7 on-air remarks questioning whether Abdul El-Sayed and Ahmad Tibi are really doctors. The channel calls them racist, unacceptable and inconsistent with its values and suspends him from broadcasting, which condemns them.
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- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Eyal Berkovic
More from this case
Read the full caseBen Caspit calls Berkovic's remarks pure racism
“I really did not like what he said. It was pure racism (Translated from Hebrew. Original: מאוד לא אהבתי את מה שהוא אמר, זו הייתה גזענות נטו)”Read statement
Yinon Magal says Berkovic should not have been suspended and calls his critics hypocrites
“Of course not ... Berko talked about Haredim being parasites, and you said about Haredim that they are parasites. You are a bunch of hypocrites, that's all (Translated from Hebrew. Original: ברור שלא ... ברקו דיבר על חרדים שהם טפילים, ואתם אמרתם על חרדים שהם טפילים, אתם חבורה של צבועים, זה הכל)”Read statement
Lior Berkovic calls his father's remark about Ahmad Tibi a small jab
“A few hours ago Dad was suspended from Channel 13 over a small remark about 'Doctor' Ahmad Tibi. And I ask myself, what, is it no longer allowed to throw small jabs, is it no longer allowed to express an opinion without someone getting offended ... Dad, if Ahmad Tibi is a doctor, then you are a professor (Translated from Hebrew. Original: לפני כמה שעות אבא הושעה מערוץ 13 עקב התבטאות קטנה כלפי 'דוקטור' אחמד טיבי. ואני שואל את עצמי מה אסור יותר לזרוק עקיצות קטנות, אסור יותר להביע דעה בלי שמישהו או מישהי יעלבו ... אבא, אם אחמד טיבי דוקטור, אז אתה פרופסור)”Read statement
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- Channel 13 suspends Eyal Berkovic, saying free expression is no license for racist remarks
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The Dispute Index. "Channel 13 suspends Eyal Berkovic, saying free expression is no license for racist remarks". First published: 2026-11-10. Last updated: 2026-11-10. https://disputeindex.com/events/8559-channel-13-says-freedom-of-expression-is-no