Quarterly Impact Report
January – March 2023
Laura Cornfield
Director, MediaCentral
Dear friends,
From the beginning of 2023, Israeli citizens have come under attack by terrorists – with over 40 losing their lives and dozens more injured. Many analysts are warning of the beginning of another intifada. MediaCentral has taken the foreign media outlets on exclusive tours to hotbeds of terror activity, including Nablus and Jenin, to get an up-close look at what Israeli security forces are facing and how they are addressing the threats.
Also at the forefront of international news is the proposed legislation for judicial reform. MediaCentral has helped international journalists understand what these proposals involve and have hosted legal experts to explain how this controversial legislation would affect the country.
Wherever news is happening, MediaCentral is working to connect reporters with local and foreign experts who can provide them with the nuance behind the soundbites.
We greatly appreciate the ongoing support of all our partners and supporters who empower us to make a tremendous difference in Israel’s portrayal in the international media.
Laura Cornfield
MediaCentral Director
This quarter:
80
Articles Tracked
28
Events
241
Event Participants
87
One-on-One Services
Top-tier (English and others) outlets participating in our events
Field Tours:
Field tours
5
5
FIELD TOURS
What is a Field Tour short blurb …
63
Field Tours
192
Participating Outlets
Surge In West Bank Violence
At the beginning of 2023, as a wave of violence continued in the West Bank, MediaCentral was bringing journalists to the frontline in Nablus.
Journalists met with locals to hear how the Lions’ Den terrorist group was using Nablus as its command center. They were then briefed by the IDF to understand the security risks to Israeli civilians.
MediaCentral staff enabled exclusive access to these unheard, nearly impossible-to-reach voices. The tour was so sought after it was repeated with three groups, and an additional three one-on-one tours were arranged.
At the beginning of 2023, as a wave of violence continued in the West Bank, MediaCentral was bringing journalists to the frontline in Nablus.
Journalists met with locals to hear how the Lions’ Den terrorist group was using Nablus as its command center. They were then briefed by the IDF to understand the security risks to Israeli civilians.
MediaCentral staff enabled exclusive access to these unheard, nearly impossible-to-reach voices. The tour was so sought after it was repeated with three groups, and an additional three one-on-one tours were arranged.
FIELD TOUR
Tour of the Tunnels
MediaCentral has access to historical sites that many international news outlets have not had the opportunity to see firsthand. This is why journalists were so excited to be treated to a special exclusive peek at the new route inside the Western Wall Tunnels.
The Western Wall – the Kotel – is the holiest site in the world where the Jewish people are allowed to pray. It is part of the retaining wall of the Temple Mount dating back to the Second Temple period.
Along with the guided tour, they saw the new 3D tour of the Second Temple using special headsets that took them thousands of years back in time.
The outlets held a rare on-the-record meeting with Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, the Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites of Israel. Then, the new Israeli police spokesman presented the challenges the Police Department faces in securing holy sites for all visitors.
FIELD TOUR
Legalization of Homes in the West Bank
The status of communities in the West Bank is constantly in the news, as they were at the beginning of March when the Prime Minister’s Office notified the Biden administration that it would hold off on legalizing additional outposts for several months.
MediaCentral took nearly twenty journalists on a tour to the West Bank to explore land use policy, the ramifications of the government’s West Bank settlement policy, and their legalities under Israeli and international law from the two differing perspectives. The outlets spoke with members of the Binyamin Regional Council, a Givat Harel community lawyer, and visited the nearby Palestinian village of Turms Ayya, where they met with the local mayor.
The status of communities in the West Bank is constantly in the news, as they were at the beginning of March when the Prime Minister’s Office notified the Biden administration that it would hold off on legalizing additional outposts for several months.
MediaCentral took nearly twenty journalists on a tour to the West Bank to explore land use policy, the ramifications of the government’s West Bank settlement policy, and their legalities under Israeli and international law from the two differing perspectives. The outlets spoke with members of the Binyamin Regional Council, a Givat Harel community lawyer, and visited the nearby Palestinian village of Turms Ayya, where they met with the local mayor.
Journalist Services:
Journalist Services
13
SPECIAL BRIEFING
What is a Special Briefing short blurb …
149
Special Briefing
84
Participating Outlets
Can an MK With a Conviction Become a Minister?
In mid-January, the Israeli High Court of Justice published its ruling on MK Deri’s ministerial appointment in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s new government. According to the ruling, the appointment is “extremely unreasonable” in light of Deri’s past convictions. There was a great deal of interest in the controversial decision, so MediaCentral decided to get in front of the issue.
The briefing featured opposing views, where Prof. Yaniv Roznai, co-director at the Rubinstein Center for Constitutional Challenges at Reichman University, and Adv. Yonatan Green, Executive Director of the Israel Law and Liberty Forum, discussed the decision, its significance, and possible impact on the legal reform. The issue was so intriguing that journalists from top-tier outlets, including CNN, AP, Reuters, Bloomberg, AFP, VOA, The Daily Beast, CBN, and the Irish Times, all listened to the panel explain the complexity of the ruling.
CNN’s Israel correspondent, Hadas Gold, quoted both of our speakers in her reports.
In mid-January, the Israeli High Court of Justice published its ruling on MK Deri’s ministerial appointment in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s new government. According to the ruling, the appointment is “extremely unreasonable” in light of Deri’s past convictions. There was a great deal of interest in the controversial decision, so MediaCentral decided to get in front of the issue.
The briefing featured opposing views, where Prof. Yaniv Roznai, co-director at the Rubinstein Center for Constitutional Challenges at Reichman University, and Adv. Yonatan Green, Executive Director of the Israel Law and Liberty Forum, discussed the decision, its significance, and possible impact on the legal reform. The issue was so intriguing that journalists from top-tier outlets including CNN, AP, Reuters, Bloomberg, AFP, VOA, The Daily Beast, CBN, and the Irish Times, all listened to the panel explain the complexity of the ruling.
CNN’s reporter in Israel, Hadas Gold, quoted both of our speakers in her reports.
SPECIAL BRIEFING
Regional Security Summit
At the end of February, amid a series of terror attacks on Israelis, officials from the United States, Jordan, Egypt, the PA, and Israel, met at a summit in Aqaba aimed at boosting Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation and de-escalating tensions. MediaCentral hosted the former Coordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. General (res.) Eitan Dangot – who explained what needs to be done by the PA to rein in the violence and how the summit will address this.
At the end of February, amid a series of terror attacks on Israelis, officials from the United States, Jordan, Egypt, the PA, and Israel, met at a summit in Aqaba aimed at boosting Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation and de-escalating tensions. MediaCentral hosted the former Coordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. General (res.) Eitan Dangot – who explained what needs to be done by the PA to rein in the violence and how the summit will address this.
