The Seventh Eye in English

רסס The Seventh Eye in English

The Seventh Eye is Israel's only independent and investigative magazine devoted entirely to Journalism, the Media, Freedom of Speech and Transparency. For more information on The Seventh Eye, click here

העין השביעית הכל
01.04.2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi during a 40 signatures debate, at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on January 5, 2026. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

New report reveals the data behind the decline in press freedom in Israel

For the first time, a comprehensive study offers quantitative indicators of democratic regression in the Israeli media market • and reviews the worrying trends in market concentration, ownership structures, legislation, violence against journalists, defamation lawsuits and discourse on social media • The report, "On the Brink of Collapse," is a joint project of "The Seventh Eye," researchers from the Open University and the Van Leer Institute

Oren Persico
03.03.2026
Photojournalist Mustafa al-Haruf after being beaten by Border Police officers, screenshot from Turkish television broadcasts

Court overturns conviction of Border Police officer who violently attacked Palestinian journalist: Conviction "will severely harm him"

In 2023, Yitzhak Sofer punched a photographer for the "Anadolu" news agency, hit him with his weapon, and kicked him in the head nine times while he was pinned to the ground • He was convicted of assault causing bodily harm, but after it was claimed that he expressed remorse, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and that a conviction would harm his police career - the judge reversed his earlier decision: "He chose the path of reform in which there is hope," "The behavior does not characterize him" • Plaintiff: The defendant did not express remorse or empathy, it is clear that his words were "spoken for show"

Oren Persico
24.10.2025
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir speaks during an event for outstanding soldiers as part of Israel's 77th Independence Day celebrations, at the President's residence in Jerusalem on May 1, 2025. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

After Two Years, the IDF Has Yet to Complete Its Investigation Into the Attack on Journalists in Southern Lebanon

A Reuters journalist was killed and journalists from international media outlets were seriously injured by IDF fire in Lebanon in October 2023 • Multiple comprehensive investigations determined it was deliberate fire on the group, which was marked as press crews and positioned in open terrain, and that there was no exchange of fire at the location • The IDF expressed regret and promised the incident would be investigated, but two years later reports that "the incident is currently in the investigation stages, and the findings of the inquiry regarding the incident have not yet been concluded"

Oren Persico
24.10.2025
From right: Supreme Court Justices Ruth Ronen, Gila Kanfi-Steinitz, and Ofer Grosskopf (Photos: Flash90)

The Supreme Court Once Again Postpones Its Ruling on the Ban Preventing Journalists from Entering the Gaza Strip

For an entire year, the justices of the Supreme Court allowed the government to avoid responding to a petition filed by representatives of the international press, who demanded to permit journalistic coverage from within Gaza. "All the so-called justifications for this extremely severe violation of the very foundations of freedom of expression and the public’s right to know have now expired," argued the Foreign Press Association (FPA). The justices were unconvinced and granted the state yet another extension to draft a new response. Until now, the judges had justified the delays on the grounds of the ongoing war. now, the pretext is the ceasefire

Oren Persico