There are over ten different languages in the Israeli media, with Hebrew as the predominant one. Press in Arabic caters to the Arab citizens of Israel, with readers from areas including those governed by the Palestinian Authority. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Israeli press gradually came to be controlled by a limited number of organizations, whereas the papers published by political parties started to become defunct. Today, three large, privately owned conglomerates based in Tel Aviv dominate the mass media in Israel.
Censorship in Israel is exercised when it is certain that publication of the item in question would harm public safety or national security. When an item is censored, the newspaper may appeal the censor's ruling to a "committee of three," composed of a member of the public (who serves as the chairman), a representative of the army and a representative of the press. The decisions of the committee are binding, and over the years it has in many cases overruled the decision of the censor.
History
Ha-Levanon, the first Hebrew-language newspaper in pre-state Israel, was published on 20 February 1863. It was founded by Yoel Moshe Salomon (later a founder of Petah Tikva) and Michal HaCohen (later a founder of Nahalat Shiv'a). About six months later, another Jerusalem weekly, HaHavatzelet, was founded by Yisrael Bak, who established the first Hebrew printing press in Jerusalem.The Israeli Press
An analysis of the press of Palestine under the British Mandate in 1949 states: "Palestine was a special case in journalism. No other area with a population of two million, of whom at least 30 percent are illiterate, could boast of 18 morning dailies, three evening papers, and a host of weeklies, bi-weeklies and monthlies."Press and Radio in Palestine Under the British Mandate
In 1952, the International Publishing Company J-M Ltd was established as the state's first book publisher. Censorship was regularly enforced in years after independence, throughout the Yom Kippur War and the 1970s. In 1986, the government allowed for the establishment of private and commercial media outlets to run in competition with state media.
In 2012, Reuters correspondent Tova Cohen described Israeli society as "news-obsessed." Israel has a high newspaper readership rate, due to a combination of high literacy rate and a cultural interest in politics and current affairs. Average weekday readership of newspapers in Israel is around 21 papers per 100 people, although many Israelis end up reading more than one paper.
Newspapers Newspapers in Israel are mainly published in Hebrew, but there are also newspapers catering to Arabic speakers, and newspapers catering to immigrants speaking a variety of languages, such as Russian, English, and French. In 2022, a TGI survey indicated that Israel Hayom, distributed for free, is Israel's most read newspaper with a 31% weekday readership exposure, followed by Yedioth Ahronoth with 23.9%, Haaretz with 4.7%, and Maariv with 3.5%.
Freedom of the press
The Israeli government generally respects freedom of the press, which is protected by the Basic Laws of Israel and independent judiciary.Israel Press Freedom, Freedom House. Hate speech, and publishing praise of violence or issues of national security is prohibited. While Israeli journalists operate with little restrictiction, Reporters Without Borders alleges that the authorities enter Palestinian offices and homes looking for "illegal material".Israel 2007 report, Reporters Without Borders. Some argue that freedom of press is restricted for Palestinians.
Publication of a newspaper in Israel requires a permit from the government, which continues to implement the Press Ordinance enacted by the Mandatory Government in 1933. Permits can be refused if the proprietor is less than 25 years old or has a criminal record. An investigation by Haaretz early in 2016 revealed that in the preceding decade at least 62 out of more than 500 permit applications had been rejected. Other regulations, including the 1945 Defence (Emergency) Regulations, can also be used to regulate newspaper publication.
According to information provided by the military censor in response to a Freedom of Information request, in 2017 the censor banned the publication of 271 articles outright, and fully or partially redacted 21% of the articles submitted to it.
Following the 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis Israel took steps to ban Qatar-based Al Jazeera by closing its Jerusalem office, revoking press cards, and asking cable and satellite broadcasters not to broadcast al-Jazeera. Defence minister, Avigdor Lieberman, had described some of al-Jazeera reports as "Nazi Germany-style" propaganda. It was not clear if the measures covered Al Jazeera English, considered less strident.
Under Israeli law, it is forbidden to proselytize to a person under 18 without the consent of a parent. It is also forbidden to offer material benefits in the process of proselytizing.
On 24 November 2024, Israel's government ordered a boycott of the newspaper Haaretz by government officials and anyone working for a government-funded body, and banned government advertising with the newspaper. According to The Guardian, Haaretz "had published a series of investigations of wrongdoing or abuses by senior officials and the armed forces, and has long been in the crosshairs of the current government."
Freedom House Freedom House publishes an annual Freedom of the Press report. The 2013 report described Israel as having "the freest press in the region" but downgraded its status from "Free" to "Partly Free" in response to "the indictment of journalist Uri Blau for possession of state secrets, the first time this law had been used against the press in several decades, as well as instances of politicized interference with the content of the Israel Broadcasting Authority radio programs and concerns surrounding the license renewal of television's Channel 10." The 2023 Freedom in the World report gave Israel a 3 out of 4 report for Freedom of Expression. The report stated that though the media is generally free to criticize the government, print articles remain subject to censorship by the military, and that right-ward leaning trends under the Netanyahu administration further threatened public faith in the press.
Reporters Without Borders In 2025, Reporters Without Borders ranked Israel 112th out of 180 in their Press Freedom Index. Palestine was rated 163rd out of 180 in the same year. The results for Israel and the Palestinian National Authority from 2002 to the present are shown below, with lower numbers indicating better treatment of reporters:
Year Israel (Israeli territory) Israel (extraterritorial) Palestine No. of national entities rated Report URL 2002 92 Not Specified 82 139 2002 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders 2003 44 146 130 166 2003 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders 2004 36 115 127 167 2004 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders 2005 47 Not Specified 132 167 2005 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders 2006 50 135 134 168 2006 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders 2007 44 103 158 169 2007 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders 2008 46 149 163 173 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders 2009 93 150 161 175 2009 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders. 2014 96 Not Specified 138 180 2014 Press Freedom Index , Reporters Without Borders.20188713418020198813718020208813718020218613218020228617018020239715618020241011571802025112163180
Committee to Protect Journalists
According to a report issued by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in January 2023, Israel became one of the “worst jailers of journalists,” putting it on par with Iran.Chris McGreal: Israel added to list of ‘worst jailers of journalists’ for first time The Guardian, 18 January 2023; Liam Scott: Israel Ranks Among World’s Worst Jailers of Journalists, Report Finds Voice of America, 18 January 2023; Israeli arrests of Palestinian journalists soared in 2023: CPJ AlJazeera, 18 January 2024; Israel tied with Iran for country with 6th-most reporters jailed since December — watchdog The Times of Israel, 18 January 2024; Arlene Getz: 2023 prison census: Jailed journalist numbers near record high; Israel imprisonments spike CPJ, January 2024; Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war CPJ, 18 January 2024; Mohamed Mandour: Attacks, arrests, threats, censorship: The high risks of reporting the Israel-Gaza war CPJ, 18 January 2024;
Since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israel has detained Palestinian reporters without trial. According to a report in Middle East Eye in March 2025, 208 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the start of the war. Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat was reportedly targeted in his vehicle in Salah al-Din Street, north of the Gaza enclave. In October 2024, Shabat said the Israeli army had falsely accused him of terrorism. Shabat told the committee to Protect Journalists: “We convey the truth and move within the areas classified by Israel as safe…We are citizens, and we convey their voices." CPJ called upon Israel to stop making unsubstantiated allegations.
Many Palestinian press workers claim they are targeted and harassed while carrying out their work in Israel. One reporter says eight of his family members were killed since he began covering the war. Many journalists complain that they have no safe place to do their jobs as they live in tents and work from makeshift offices in hospitals, where they can access power.
Since October 2023, the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip has “killed more journalists than the US Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War (including the conflicts in Cambodia and Laos), the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s and 2000s, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan, combined”.
List of media outlets Print
Israel has a large number of dailies, weeklies and periodicals, all privately owned. B'Sheva: Hebrew-language weekly religious newspaper. Calcalist: Hebrew-language daily business newspaper. Globes: Hebrew-language daily business newspaper (with online English edition). Haaretz: Israel's oldest daily newspaper with Hebrew and English editions. Hamodia: daily Haredi newspaper with Hebrew, English and French editions. Israel Hayom: Hebrew-language free daily newspaper (with online English edition). Israel Post: Hebrew-language free daily newspaper. Al-Ittihad: Arabic-language daily communist newspaper. The Jerusalem Post: Israel's oldest English-language newspaper. Kul al-Arab: Arabic-language weekly newspaper. Maariv: Hebrew-language daily newspaper. Makor Rishon: Hebrew-language weekly newspaper. TheMarker: Hebrew-language business media. Vesti: Russian-language daily newspaper. Yated Ne'eman: daily Haredi newspaper with Hebrew and English editions. : Hebrew-language daily newspaper.
Broadcast
Channel 9: Russian-language television channel. Keshet 12 Hebrew-language television channel. Reshet 13: Hebrew-language television channel. Now 14: Hebrew-language television channel aimed at Jewish audience. Galei Tzahal: Hebrew-language general interest radio station. Galgalatz: Hebrew-language radio station broadcasting music, traffic reports and news. i24news: international news television channel in Hebrew, English, French and Arabic. Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation: public broadcaster. Kan 11: Hebrew-language television channel. Kan Educational: Hebrew-language television channel for children. Kan 33 (Makan): Arabic-language television channel. Kol Yisrael: radio service. Knesset Channel: Hebrew-language political television channel. Kol Chai: Hebrew-language radio station aimed at Orthodox audience.
Internet