Background
Heinz Kluger (later Haim Yavin) was born in Beuthen, Oberschlesien, Germany (now Bytom, Upper Silesia, Poland).
Heinz Kluger (later Haim Yavin) was born in Beuthen, Oberschlesien, Germany (now Bytom, Upper Silesia, Poland).
He was one of Israel"s leading news presenters, associated with the job for so many decades that he was known as "Mr. Television."
His family immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1933. They currently live in Tel Aviv.
Between 1968 and 2008, Yavin was the anchor of Mabat (lit "Outlook"), the primetime news roundup on Israel"s state television station, Channel 1, which he helped foundation
He is known in Israel as "Mr. Television" and dubbed "Israel"s Walter Cronkite" by the American press
He is often perceived as the "voice" of Israel. He also served as chief editor of Mabat.
The program concluded that Israeli settlements were endangering Israel, and Israel should withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Yavin stating that "Since 1967, we have been brutal conquerors, occupiers, suppressing another people." Israeli settlers were outraged by this partisan approach by a leading newscaster.
The chairman of the Yesha Council called on Channel One to fire Yavin. Instead, the Israel Broadcasting Authority signed him on for another year. In August 2007, Yavin announced his retirement.
He read the news for the last time on February 5, 2008.
Yavin sparked political controversy with his five-part documentary series The Land of the Settlers, aired on Israel"s Channel 2 in May 2005. At the time, Ariel Sharon"s disengagement plan had not yet been implemented, and the series was viewed as propaganda in support of lieutenant