'Crossed a red line' Israeli TV channel denies coverage incites war crimes

An ultranationalist Israeli television channel backed by the government is fast emerging as one of the country's most-watched news sources, despite allegations from liberal groups that it is inciting war crimes, and claims from the army that it is riling up hatred of its generals for not being far enough to the right.

- Julian Borger

Last month Channel 14, also known as Now 14, beat Israel's principal mainstream news outlet, Channel 12, in viewer ratings when 343,000 Israelis watched Channel 14's Patriots chatshow, known for its virulent rhetoric on Gaza.

Media analysts say Channel 14's rise is both a sign and driver of the shift of Israeli public opinion to the extreme right that has accelerated since the start of the war a year ago.

Ayala Panievsky, a presidential fellow in the journalism department of City St George's, University of London, said: "It is pretty wild, because Israelis consume a lot of news through the big TV channels, 12 and 13, and to a lesser extent the public broadcaster, but Channel 14 was not even in the game until very recently. The war seemed to have helped this channel ride the 'rally around the flag' effect and the rising time of nationalism to gain more support."

Channel 14 has even questioned the loyalty of the Israeli army because of its perceived lack of ideological zeal.

Last week, the spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), R Adm Daniel Hagari, wrote a formal complaint to the broadcasting authority and the ministry of defence accusing Channel 14 of incitement against its leadership.

The broadcast that prompted the letter showed doctored pictures of the IDF's chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, his face distorted to make him look deranged and shrieking at the sight of messianic religious insignia on a soldier's uniform.

Hagari said the IDF could accept criticism but the channel had "crossed a red line".

He wrote: "It is deliberate incitement and humiliation of the IDF and its commanders during a war. Unfortunately, this is not the first time Channel 14 has taken such action towards the IDF."

Channel 14 denied the claim that the broadcast was inflammatory and sardonically advised Hagari not to become a TV critic.