The newspaper that survived coups, phone bugs, and political scandals

Entertainment · Published 2 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: From its 1939 origins in Mandatory Palestine to becoming Israel's largest paid daily, Yedioth Ahronoth has navigated a century of intense media warfare, including a legendary journalist exodus known as 'The Putsch' and high-stakes investigations into political corruption.

Founded in 1939 by Gershom Komarov, Yedioth Ahronoth was the first evening paper in Mandatory Palestine. While it initially modeled itself after the London Evening Standard, financial struggles led its owner, Yehuda Mozes, to treat the publication more as a long-term investment than a mere hobby. The paper's history is defined by fierce competition, most notably the 1948 'Putsch,' when editor Ezriel Carlebach and his staff left to form the rival Maariv, citing editorial interference by the Mozes family.

The rivalry between Yedioth and Maariv reached a fever pitch in the 1990s when both organizations were discovered to have bugged each other's telephones. Despite these conflicts, Yedioth achieved dominance by the early 1980s, largely due to the leadership of Dov Yudkovski. Yudkovski, a Holocaust survivor, managed the editorial direction for decades, even while Herzl Rosenblum held the official title of chief editor.

In the modern era, the paper has faced new challenges from free dailies like Israel Hayom. The competition has moved beyond circulation battles into the realm of legal scrutiny. In 2017, leaked recordings of conversations between Prime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes—the son of the paper's longtime owner—allegedly discussed a deal to trade favorable coverage for government restrictions on competitors. This incident triggered the 'Case 2000' corruption investigation.

Today, the Yedioth Ahronoth Group is a massive media conglomerate. It operates the popular news portal Ynet, which launched in 2000, and Yedioth Books, a major publisher of both Hebrew and translated works. While the paper maintains a centrist editorial stance, its marketing strategy is noted for prioritizing human interest and drama over deep analytical complexity.

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