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.
Denne historien er fra November 04, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 04, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
'Only the beginning': hundreds die as Israel shatters Gaza truce
Netanyahu defiant after bloodiest day since first months of conflict
PM sides with far-right parties rather than those who wanted to prioritise return of hostages
As the ceasefire in Gaza went from days to weeks, and newly freed hostages began sharing grim details of their captivity, Benjamin Netanyahu's political room for manoeuvre seemed to shrink.
Tennis is broken' Djokovic's player union launches legal action against tours
Djokovic's player union launches legal action against tours
Coe gets 2012 champions' backing in IOC president race
Some of the biggest names of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics have thrown their weight behind Sebastian Coe to become the next president of the International Olympic Committee.
Sabotage Russia using criminal gangs to cause chaos, Europol warns
Russia and other state actors are driving an increase in politically motivated cyber-attacks and sabotage of infrastructure and public institutions in the EU, the bloc's police enforcement agency has found, as it issued a warning over the long-term security impacts of the war in Ukraine.
Robert Smith to curate 2026 Teenage Cancer Trust gigs
The Cure's Robert Smith will take over from Roger Daltrey as the curator of the Teenage Cancer Trust's Royal Albert Hall concerts for 2026.
Hungary bans Pride events in its latest crackdown on LGBTQ rights
Lawmakers in Hungary have voted to ban Pride events and allow authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attendees and potentially fine them, in what Amnesty International has described as a \"full-frontal attack\" on the LGBTQ+ community.
Chief justice rebukes Trump for call to impeach judge over deportation case
John Roberts, the chief justice of the US supreme court, yesterday delivered a rare rebuke of Donald Trump after he demanded the impeachment of a federal judge who had issued a ruling against the administration blocking the deportation of hundreds of suspected Venezuelan gang members.
Ex-hospital chiefs' call to halt Letby inquiry labelled 'opportunistic'
Former bosses at the hospital where Lucy Letby worked have been accused of \"opportunistically\" calling for the inquiry into her crimes to be halted to hide their \"catastrophic\" failures.
Campaigners try to arrest water bosses over 'public nuisance'
Environmental activists have attempted citizen's arrests of the chief executive and chief financial officer of Thames Water on suspicion of causing a public nuisance.
