The Union of Journalists in Israel

The Union of Journalists in Israel (UJI) is a sectoral labor union founded in 2012 by a group of Israeli journalists who believed that journalists must unionize to secure decent working conditions and a viable ethical standard. It organizes both salaried and freelance journalists working across Israeli media, and it operates as an independent nonprofit association (amuta) since 2020, having previously operated within the Histadrut (New General Federation of Labor) until that year. Until March 2022 the organization was known as the Union of Journalists in Israel (ארגון העיתונאים בישראל); the name was then expanded to include both male and female forms. The union's core mission is to protect and improve the status of journalists, both in employment terms and professionally. It negotiates collective agreements, provides legal assistance to members, runs public campaigns, and works to safeguard freedom of the press and ethical standards. According to its own account, before the union was established only about 10% of Israeli journalists were unionized; today the rate stands at around 80%. Thousands of journalists have joined, and more than 20 prominent Israeli media outlets have been unionized through the UJI, including Yedioth Ahronot, Ynet, Globes, Kan (the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation), Channel 12 news company, Channel 13 news company, Walla!, i24News, and Haaretz. The union is active in labor disputes and legal proceedings. It has declared labor disputes at media outlets such as Walla! and Haaretz, petitioned the High Court of Justice on issues including the split of the Kan public broadcaster and the appointment of the CEO of Channel 13 news, and campaigned against the Blotnik–Drehi deal for control of Channel 13. It also runs professional events, seminars, and tours aimed at improving journalists' skills, and since 2021 it has awarded the Uri Avnery Prize for courageous journalism together with the Rachel and Uri Avnery Foundation. It also collects reports of violence against journalists and media workers. The UJI is governed by an elected chair and a board. Yair Tarchitsky was elected chair in 2016; Eli Gershenkroin became CEO in early 2020; Nurit Kanti was elected chair in June 2021; Eliran Hayat became acting chair in July 2024 after Kanti announced a study year in the United States; and Haim Har-Zahav was elected chair in July 2025. The union maintains a website at itonaim.org.il and is active on Facebook and X (Twitter).

The Union of Journalists in Israel was founded in 2012 by a group of Israeli journalists, including Asaf Lieberman, Dror Feuer, Haim Har-Zahav, Yair Tarchitsky, Yoav Ribak, Miki Peled, Nurit Kanti, Neta Ahituv, Einat Fishbain, Roni Linder-Ganz, Tani Goldstein, and Shai Niv. It was established as a sectoral labor union to organize journalists working as employees or freelancers in Israeli media, with the goal of protecting and improving the status of journalists both in employment and professionally. Until 2020 it operated within the Histadrut (New General Federation of Labor); from 2020 it has operated as an independent nonprofit association (amuta). Until March 2022 it was called the Union of Journalists in Israel (ארגון העיתונאים בישראל); the name was then expanded to include both male and female forms. The union's establishment followed a long history of journalistic organization in the country. Before the founding of the State of Israel, the 'Association of Journalists of the Land of Israel' was established in March 1946, and after independence it changed its name to the 'National Association of Journalists of Israel' in March 1949. That national association united three regional journalists' associations: the Tel Aviv Journalists Association, the Jerusalem Journalists Association, and the Haifa and North Journalists Association. The strongest and most active was the Tel Aviv Journalists Association, founded in 1935. Through collective agreements with the publishers' organization, the association managed to maintain journalists' working conditions. However, in the 1980s the power of the journalists' associations eroded after new media outlets, led by the newspaper Hadashot founded in 1984, hired employees on personal rather than collective employment contracts, limiting the possibility of joint wage struggles. The association's fight against Hadashot included a boycott of coverage of the newspaper's launch and initially preventing Hadashot journalists from joining the Tel Aviv Journalists Association. With the rise of additional new media, local newspapers, commercial television and cable, and regional radio stations, all hired employees on personal contracts. In the 1990s the older media also began adopting personal contracts, and the associations weakened further. In July 2012 the Israel Press Council announced the acceptance of the Union of Journalists in Israel as a member of the Council. In parallel with the establishment of the Union, workers' committees left the Tel Aviv Journalists Association; the last committee represented by it, Kol Israel journalists, announced its departure in November 2015. The Haifa Journalists Association ceased to operate entirely. In the 2016 elections Yair Tarchitsky was elected chair of the Union. In September 2017 the Union had about 3,500 members and was the representative workers' organization in about 25 media outlets, where workers' committees were also established, including the News Company, Hadashot 10, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, Yedioth Ahronot, Maariv, Globes, ynet, Kol Chai radio, Time Out Tel Aviv, and Moto Communications. In early 2020 Eli Gershenkroin was appointed CEO of the Union. In June 2021 further elections were held, in which Nurit Kanti was elected chair. In July 2024 Eliran Hayat was elected acting chair after Kanti announced she was leaving for a study year in the United States. In July 2025 Haim Har-Zahav was elected chair. The Union has been active in defending press freedom and freedom of expression in Israel. In August 2016 it expressed support for Sharon Shpurer after a defamation lawsuit of NIS 1.68 million was filed against her, which the Union said was a SLAPP suit; it raised funds for her defense through crowdfunding. In 2017 it petitioned the High Court of Justice against the amendment to the Israeli Broadcasting Law that split the Kan public broadcaster in two, and against restrictions imposed by the Israel Police on freedom of journalistic coverage in Jerusalem. Since 2021 it has awarded the Uri Avnery Prize for courageous journalism together with the Rachel and Uri Avnery Foundation. Also since 2021 it has collected reports of violence against journalists and media workers, both by security forces and by civilians and subjects. In January 2022, following the appointment of retired judge Hanan Meltzer, president of the Press Council, as chairman of Migdal Insurance, the Union requested an urgent discussion of the Council, fearing a potential conflict of interest. A month later a majority of Press Council members voted to continue Meltzer's term; following that approval the Union decided to withdraw and establish an alternative framework to the Council. In July 2024 the Union petitioned the High Court of Justice against the appointment of Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich as CEO of Channel 13 news, arguing it was a political appointment tainted by extraneous considerations. In September 2024, following the closure of Al Jazeera offices in Ramallah, the Union criticized 'closing media outlets by military order,' stating that 'the closure was done under a general's order, subject to a confidential opinion, and it is impossible to know what stands behind the decision to close the offices.' In response to this statement, board member and journalist Yair Kraus announced his resignation from the board, saying that 'for a long time the Union of Journalists has been dealing with issues that have nothing to do with defending the press and Israeli journalists.'

• 2025

  Haim Har-Zahav elected chair of the Union.

• 2024

  Eliran Hayat elected acting chair; Union petitions High Court against appointment of Channel 13 news CEO.

• 2022

  Union changes its name to include both male and female forms; withdraws from the Press Council over the Meltzer conflict-of-interest dispute.

• 2021

  Nurit Kanti elected chair; Union begins awarding the Uri Avnery Prize and collecting reports of violence against journalists.

• 2020

  Union begins operating as an independent nonprofit association; Eli Gershenkroin appointed CEO.

• 2017

  Union petitions High Court against the split of Kan and police restrictions on press coverage in Jerusalem.

• 2016

  Yair Tarchitsky elected chair of the Union.

• 2012

  Union of Journalists in Israel founded by a group of Israeli journalists.

• 2012

  Israel Press Council accepts the Union as a member.

A sectoral labor union representing journalists across Israeli media, focused on collective bargaining, legal defense, press freedom, and professional ethics.

• Union membership

  Membership for salaried and freelance journalists, including a membership card and access to legal aid and professional resources.

• Legal assistance

  Legal support for members in labor disputes and defamation or SLAPP cases.

• Professional seminars and tours

  Events, seminars, and tours aimed at improving professional skills among journalists.

• Uri Avnery Prize

  Annual prize for courageous journalism, awarded with the Rachel and Uri Avnery Foundation since 2021.

1. 1ארגון העיתונאים והעיתונאיות בישראל - הבית של העיתונאים בישראלitonaim.org.il
2. 2About - ארגון העיתונאים והעיתונאיות בישראלitonaim.org.il
3. 3The Union of Journalists in Israel - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4ארגון העיתונאים והעיתונאיות בישראל - Wikipedia (Hebrew)he.wikipedia.org