September 2008. It was not long after I returned to Israel from Mauretania after four years as the Israeli ambassador in that unique Muslim country. I hadn't just returned to Israel, but also to my original profession, journalism. After many long years at Ma'ariv and Yedioth Ahronoth, with a break for diplomatic service, I joined a young newspaper that was barely a year old called Israel Hayom.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
I thought it was another stage in my career. I never imagined I was about to begin the most important chapter of my professional life – 14 years of writing and editing a right-wing newspaper distributed nationwide, a newspaper like ones I had prayed for when I was young. Like the ones many like me in the national camp had hoped to see in Israel. A newspaper that wouldn't be afraid to use the term "our forces" when talking about IDF troops. A newspaper that wouldn't be afraid to hope for sovereignty to be applied to Judea and Samaria in the heart of our country. A newspaper that wouldn't make the mistake of dreaming about dividing the country, and a newspaper that wouldn't be afraid to criticize, when necessary, powerful institutions that many people were accustomed to seeing as sacrosanct and untouchable.
After years as a foreign affairs reporter and editor at Israel Hayom, in April 2017 I had the privilege of being appointed editor-in-chief of Israel's right-wing newspaper. And not only a right-wing newspaper – the most-read newspaper in the country. For almost five years, I had the honor of serving a legacy, being part of what was to come, serving the profession of journalism in which I had grown up and which I still see as a holy mission, serving the newspaper's team – my fellow writers, editors, the impressive content managers with whom I was privileged to work – serving the Adelson family, who promoted the vision of this beloved newspaper, but above all, serving you, the readers.
There are editors who wait until the paper goes to print to take a breath and enjoy the fruit of their labor. Every week, I would wait for Friday morning, when – even now – I would visit Israel Hayom stands in my neighborhood in north Tel Aviv. Yes, even there people stand in line to pick up the paper you're reading now. That sign, of loyal readers, old and new, gave me the strength and the inspiration to continue the work that goes on day after day, with a release only on Yom Kippur.
On Monday, the latest TGI survey came out and showed that Israel Hayom was far ahead of its competitors in readership, both for the weekday and weekend editions. The readers love the paper, and that's the biggest thanks I could ask for. Not everyone gets this kind of reward for their work. I did. The five years I was in charge of Israel Hayom were busy and important ones. What didn't happen? A military operations and a spate of riots, a global pandemic, political and legal storms, four elections, contentious changes of government in Israel and the US, the events at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, where as editor-in-chief I was present, dramatic peace accords, and exclusive interviews with former US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. I even covered the coronation of Japan's new emperor. There were plenty of exciting moments, too many to count, like the exclusive interview with my friend Jonathan Pollard, whose beloved wife, Esther, passed away on Monday. I stood alongside him as she was laid to rest.
If it's hard, that means it's possible, Jabotinsky said in a different context. It's hard to leave a profession we love so much – but it's possible. But I have news for you – maybe even a headline: print journalism isn't dead. The opposite – it continues to serve the readers, savvy consumers of current events and content, who are curious and critical. It continues to promote an agenda, and still serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas and opinions. In our changing world, like that of Stefan Zweig, the general direction is toward the digital, but it will get there as part of the newspaper and the profession of journalism, not instead of them. I started this wonderful journey 14 years ago, and it has led me to new worlds and thrilling places – both around the planet and in terms of content, thought, and creation. After five years as editor-in-chief, I'm not ashamed to say that sometimes you need to bring in new blood.
I am leaving with an enormous sense of satisfaction and endless appreciation for everyone who worked alongside me over the years. When I look at the countless messages of praise and thanks I've gotten in the past 24 hours from colleagues in the world of journalism and media, including competitors, I also know how valuable an asset Israel Hayom is. It has presence, it makes a statement, and has its own distinct identity. And yes, I know that many who are supposed to be fellow members of the "press gang" never gave us credit and attacked us because of their different worldview and because we succeeded.
I heard those voices, too. But anyone who knows me knows that I've never hidden my views, and that I expressed them fully in the pages of this paper, along with a wide variety of other, sometimes opposing, opinions from both the Right and the Left. Even when we didn't agree, we tried to do so pleasantly. Perhaps the fans and critics of the paper would agree on one thing – no one is indifferent to Israel Hayom. Dear readers, I want to thank you for your trust, your loyalty, your responses, for the advice and the friendship. I hope we'll meet again in the future.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories
