Press freedom in Israel has been drastically curtailed in recent years: journalists are obstructed in their work, critical voices are marginalized, and independent media are subjected to pressure. The recently released 2026 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) index on press freedom lists the country on 116th place (-4 compared to 2025). At the same time, most Israeli mainstream media outlets largely echo the government’s narratives instead of critically questioning them — which is all the more problematic given Israel’s genocidal attack on Gaza and the devastating destruction of Palestinian life Israel has been causing in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and within Israel, especially since October 2023. Still, independent media organizations in the country are fighting back—through courageous journalism as a contribution to strengthening progressive voices both at home and abroad.
“+972 Magazine” is one of the leading independent media platforms in Israel and Palestine, where Israeli and Palestinian journalists report together for an audience of millions. They defy growing authoritarianism and censorship and stand for fair and accurate journalism.
We discuss the major challenges and dangers that media professionals in Israel face today more than ever before, and what potential impact these restrictions have on critical reporting in Germany about the situation in Israel and Palestine.
Our Guests:
- Ben Reiff is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of +972 Magazine, where he has worked since 2021. He has written for publications including The Guardian, The Nation, New Statesman, and Haaretz. He is a founding member of the editorial collective at Vashti Media, a left-leaning Jewish magazine in the UK. After several years as an activist and journalist in Israel-Palestine, he is now based in London.
- Alaa Salama is the Audience Engagement Manager at +972 Magazine. Alaa is an author and journalist, born in Syria to a Palestinian refugee family. He holds a master’s degree in Israel Studies from Birzeit University. His research focuses on the history of Christian Zionism and its influence on politics, culture, and literature.
- Dr. Dana Mills is the Resource Development Manager at +972 Magazine. Dana has been active in Israeli-Palestinian civil society for five years, following 15 years as an academic. She received her PhD from Oxford in 2014 and is the author of five books, including a biography of Rosa Luxemburg.
- Moderation: Gil Shohat, Head of the Israel Office of the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung in Tel Aviv.
Language: The discussion will be conducted in English. There will be English <> German translation
A joint event of the Medico International, the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung and +972 Magazine.
Public Transport: S1-S8 bis „Rosenheimer Platz”; Tramlinie 25 bis „Rosenheimer Platz”
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