British billionaire’s Israeli TV channel accused of cancelling Netanyahu show | Len Blavatnik

Len Blavatnik, Britain’s second richest man, is facing a series of protests in the UK after his Israeli TV channel was accused of cancelling programmes to please Benjamin Netanyahu.

Aviel Lewis, a London-based Israeli who is part of the anti-Netanyahu group WeDemocracy, said Blavatnik was known in the UK “as a patron of progressive culture and the arts” and that the British public was unaware that he was also involved in “something that is clearly taking the Israeli media back years and corrupting it”.

Lewis is part of a group of Israeli citizens opposed to the Netanyahu government who plan to hold protests on Sunday at the Blavatnik Wing of the Tate Modern and at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford.

Other cultural institutions bearing Blavatnik’s name could be targeted later, with protesters saying the billionaire’s media company is undermining press freedom in Israel.

Lewis said the oligarch should be aware of the potential risk to his reputation in the UK: “We want to make Mr Blavatnik uncomfortable.”

Blavatnik was knighted in recognition of his donations to British institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Courtauld Institute of Art and the National Portrait Gallery. He also controls a wide range of businesses, including Warner Music – home to Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion – as well as sports streaming company DAZN and London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket.

In Israel, he owns a controlling stake in Channel 13 News, a television station known to be a thorn in the side of the Netanyahu government. It was one of the few Israeli media outlets to broadcast commentary openly critical of Netanyahu and Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza.

Last month, the board of directors of Channel 13 news appointed Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich, a former politician considered an ally of the Israeli prime minister, as its new CEO. Her arrival was quickly followed by the cancellation of an investigative show hosted by journalist Raviv Drucker, which had exposed a series of scandals surrounding Netanyahu and a recent story about alleged corruption in the Transportation Ministry.

The channel’s journalists are openly rebelling against the appointment, which reflects Netanyahu’s growing influence over their country’s media. The liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz condemned the decision to pull the show in an editorial, calling it “a purely political decision, contrary to all financial and journalistic logic.”

“This means one thing: Channel 13 has been conquered. The Bibi-ist flag is flying over it and a clear message has been delivered to the people who still work there: you serve the government here.”

Anat Saragusti, who heads the press freedom division at the Israeli Journalists’ Organization, told The Times of Israel that “what is happening at Channel 13 News is part of a master plan to destroy press freedom.”

Blavatnik’s stake in Channel 13 is owned by Access Entertainment, the oligarch’s arm run by former BBC television director Danny Cohen. Blavatnik has also made high-profile investments in film production company A24, interactive art space LightRoom and West End hits such as Hamilton and Cabaret.

A spokesperson for Access Industries said: “Sir Leonard Blavatnik believes in the importance of freedom of the press in Israel and around the world. He has invested a significant amount of money in Israeli Channel 13 to preserve its existence and ensure the future of free and impartial journalism. The channel has never had a political agenda – as required by law in Israel – and he has never had any editorial influence.”

“It is categorically untrue that Sir Leonard has appointed the CEO of Channel 13 News. The decision as to who will lead Channel 13 News is a decision for its independent board, on which Sir Leonard has no role. Free speech and informed debate are core values ​​of the channel, and will always remain so.”