Veteran Israeli Broadcaster Haim Yavin Dies at 93

Haim Yavin, widely known as “Mr. Television,” passed away on a Wednesday at the age of 93. The veteran journalist had been a central voice in Israeli households for four decades, delivering news during pivotal national moments. His family announced his passing and scheduled his burial at Givat Hashlosha Cemetery on Friday at 11 a.m.

The Jerusalem Post

Born in 1932 as Heinz Kluger in what was then northern Silesia, Yavin moved with his parents to Mandatory Palestine as an infant and grew up in Kiryat Binyamin and Kiryat Motzkin. After military service and a brief stint in a glass factory, he entered broadcasting with the government radio station in the mid-1960s. He helped found the entertainment channel HaGal HaKal (later Reshet Bet) and was among the creators of Channel 1, Israel’s first television service, launched in the late 1960s. On July 23 he anchored the inaugural news program, Mabat LaHadashot, whose lead story covered an El Al hijacking to Algeria. He later served as director of Israeli Television for several years, produced documentaries on topics ranging from the 1981 election to Soviet Jewry, and received the Israel Prize for Communications in the late 1990s. In the mid-2000s he released the controversial documentary *Land of the Settlers*, arguing that settlements in the West Bank and Gaza threatened Israel’s future. Yavin also authored an autobiography and recorded children’s story albums.

The Jerusalem Post

President Isaac Herzog issued a social-media statement praising Yavin’s “professionalism, responsibility and statesmanship” that accompanied Israelis through key historical chapters. Member of Knesset Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta’al) posted on X/Twitter that Yavin was a “legend of Israeli television,” noting his honesty, fairness and empathy toward minorities.

The Jerusalem Post

In the mid-2010s Yavin faced accusations of sexual harassment from five women; he publicly denied the allegations. His 2005 documentary *Land of the Settlers* sparked public outcry for labeling Israelis as “brutal conquerors” and calling for withdrawal from occupied territories. Despite these disputes, colleagues such as veteran broadcaster Ya’akov Ahimeir affirmed that Yavin earned his “Mr. Television” moniker through eloquence and professionalism.

The Jerusalem Post

Yavin continued to engage in public discourse, attending a Hebrew University debate in Jerusalem on March 6, 2013. His long-standing presence across radio, television, film and literature cemented his status as a foundational figure in Israel’s media landscape.

The Jerusalem Post