Skip to main content

Why are so few Arabs interviewed on Israeli TV?

Published ratings tracking the number of Israeli Arab interviewees on Israeli TV has got the media's attention.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen on monitors before the evening news bulletin at Channel 10's control room in Jerusalem November 18, 2015. Critics say Netanyahu, known as "Bibi," is hitting the wrong note when it comes to the media, weakening press freedom and holding sway over TV broadcasters in a country that bills itself as the Middle East's only true democracy. Picture taken November 18, 2015. To match Insight ISRAEL-NETANYAHU/MEDIA  REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun  - RTX1VG1F
Read in 

They routinely don't show up. They live far away and have a hard time getting to the studio. They don’t answer the phone. They refuse to speak Hebrew. They are reluctant to appear in the Jewish media. They also bring down ratings. These are the main excuses one would likely hear from Jewish television journalists as to why there are hardly any Arabs interviewed in the mainstream Hebrew media, although Arabs make up about 20% of Israel's total population.

Actually, it would be easy for an audience to conclude on its own that there is a noticeable absence of Arabs on Israeli television. The Index of Arab Representation in the Media, published by Sikkuy: The Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality, would confirm this impression.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.