Channel 13 says Tibi's claims have no substance and viewers could tell he is a doctor
Channel 13 (Israel)Israeli television channel that airs Moria and Berko; response from Channel 13 News
Responding to Tibi's warning letter, Channel 13 News tells Walla there is no substance to the claims and that anyone who watched the broadcast could understand there was no doubt Tibi is a doctor, noting that co-host Moria Asraf said so.
Responding to
Eyal Berkovic and Moria Asraf defamed Ahmad Tibi on Channel 13 with offensive, humiliating and racist remarks about his medical degree.
“There is no substance to the claims ... Anyone who watched the broadcast could understand that there is no doubt Tibi is a doctor, including the fact that Moria said so in her own voice (Translated from Hebrew. Original: אין ממש בדברים ... כל מי שצפה בשידור יכול היה להבין שאין ספק שטיבי הוא ד"ר, כולל זה שמוריה אמרה את זה בקולה)”
Reporting
Reporting
Other statements by Channel 13 (Israel) in this case
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 Walla report on the warning letter Tibi's attorney, Gilad Barnea, sent on November 8, 2026. It transcribes the on-air exchange, summarizes the letter's demands and quotes the response Channel 13 News gave Walla.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
English-language Jerusalem Post report, by the reporter who wrote the Walla article, on Tibi's warning letter. It translates the on-air exchange and the response Channel 13 News gave Walla.
Before the quotation
Tibi's attorney, Gilad Barnea, sent a warning letter on November 8 to Berkovic, co-host Moria Asraf and the companies behind the broadcast, calling the remarks offensive, humiliating and racist and demanding an on-air apology and NIS 150,000. Walla asked Channel 13 News for a response.
After the quotation
The channel told Walla it was repeating the answer it had given directly. In the broadcast, Asraf said of El-Sayed, laughing, that he was not just another dostri but a doctor, and replied of course, laughing, when Berkovic said people also say Tibi is a doctor. Reporter Suleiman Maswadeh then told the hosts that Tibi is a doctor.
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. Answering Tibi's claim that the remarks defamed him, the channel says the claim has no substance and that viewers could understand Tibi is a doctor, which disputes that the broadcast cast doubt on his degree. It does not defend the remarks, which it had called racist the day before, so we labeled it Challenged the characterization rather than Defended or excused.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Ahmad Tibi
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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- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Channel 13 says Tibi's claims have no substance and viewers could tell he is a doctor
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/8563-responding-to-tibi-s-warning-letter-channel-13
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The Dispute Index. "Channel 13 says Tibi's claims have no substance and viewers could tell he is a doctor". First published: 2026-11-10. Last updated: 2026-11-10. https://disputeindex.com/events/8563-responding-to-tibi-s-warning-letter-channel-13