The Main News Edition of Israel's News Company

The Main News Edition of Israel's News Company, known for many years as "News 2 – The Main Edition" and later as "News 12," is one of the most influential daily news programs in the history of Israeli television. It first aired on November 4, 1993, with the launch of Channel 2, and gradually became Israel's leading evening newscast. For decades, it brought viewers reports on security, politics, economics, society and culture while documenting the changing reality of the State of Israel and the transformation of its media landscape.

From a New Broadcast to a National Institution

Yaakov Eilon presented the first edition. The program later adopted a two-anchor format, with Miki Haimovitz joining him. Haimovitz's appointment was an important moment in Israeli television news: she became the second woman to present a major Israeli newscast, following Dalia Mazor.

By 1994, the young program had surpassed the veteran "Mabat LaHadashot" on the public broadcaster in audience ratings. The change marked the growing influence of Channel 2 and a shift in Israelis' daily viewing habits. The newscast was no longer simply another evening program; it became a central meeting point for the country's public conversation.

The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995 was a defining moment for the News Company and its viewers. Channel 2's coverage, including the video footage documenting the assassination, became part of Israel's collective memory. The event demonstrated the program's role in recording moments that would remain central to the country's historical consciousness.

Professional Expansion and Television Competition

In 1996, the News Company broadcast its first election program as part of the Main News Edition, covering the elections for the Fourteenth Knesset and prime minister. The newscast thereby expanded its role from a daily summary into a major platform for live national and political coverage.

Eilon left the program and the News Company in 2001. Haimovitz presented the newscast alone for a short period before journalist Gadi Sukenik joined her. In 2002, Haimovitz left the company for Channel 10 News, and Yonit Levi was chosen to replace her. Levi presented the program for the first time on December 22, 2002.

After Sukenik left in 2007, the company decided that Levi would present the edition alone, with Danny Kushmaro filling in when she was absent. Levi thus became the first woman to present a major Israeli newscast on her own. During major breaking-news events, the program sometimes returned to a two-presenter format, with one anchor in the studio and the other reporting from the scene.

The program developed in a competitive television environment. In 2002, a rival Channel 10 newscast was launched. It was initially broadcast at 7:00 p.m. and later scheduled directly against News 2 at 8:00 p.m. In September 2006, Channel 10 News briefly surpassed News 2 in ratings after a special broadcast about the 2000 abduction of Israeli soldiers at Mount Dov and the release of previously unseen footage showing captive navigator Ron Arad speaking to the camera.

A Newscast in a Changing Media Era

During the Second Gulf War, the program's opening music was replaced by a special theme dedicated to the war in Iraq. In 2005, weather presenter Danny Roup left the News Company for Channel 10. Roup had been closely identified with the program and was among Israel's best-known television weather presenters.

In September 2007, Guy Soudri, who had previously edited Channel 10's main newscast, joined Channel 2 to edit the Main News Edition. In 2014, he was also appointed the program's vice president of content. In October 2007, the News Company moved to new studios; during the transition, the program was broadcast from temporary facilities.

When television ratings measurement began in 1998, the News Company's broadcasts regularly led the ratings tables, at times reaching between 30 and 40 percent of the audience. Over the years, viewing figures declined as the internet, online news sites, cable and satellite television and Channel 10 changed the media market. Nevertheless, the Main News Edition remained for years the leading program of its kind and one of the most watched daily programs in Israel.

Format, Content and Public Reach

The weekday edition was broadcast from Sunday through Thursday, usually at 7:58 p.m., and generally ended at around 9:30 p.m. It opened with the day's main headlines, moved through hard news and security reports, and later covered economic, social, educational, health, cultural and sports stories. A weather forecast concluded the broadcast.

The format combined anchor introductions, reports by correspondents and commentators, interviews and news bulletins. The program was extended when major events required continuing coverage. Broadcast schedules could also be adjusted because of programming commitments, including soccer matches. The opening portion of the edition was also broadcast on Galatz and Kol Rega radio, and from 2020 on Radio 103FM.

Weekend programs occupied the corresponding slots: "Friday Studio," usually presented by Danny Kushmaro, on Fridays, and "Weekend News," generally presented by Dana Weiss, on Saturdays. These programs reviewed the day's or week's events in a more magazine-oriented format, allowing greater space for analysis, features and human-interest stories. On holiday eves, the News Company generally broadcast a short bulletin, while holiday-end editions were usually presented in a more magazine-style format.

From Television to Digital News

After Channel 2 closed on November 1, 2017, the newscast was broadcast on Keshet 12 and Reshet 13. From January 2019, following the merger involving Reshet and Channel 10, the program was broadcast only on Keshet 12. These changes reflected the restructuring of Israel's commercial television market and the rebranding of the News Company's broadcasts.

In February 2020, the News Company and Keshet launched N12. The site was designed as a digital arm of News 12, providing news throughout the day and allowing viewers to watch the Main News Edition online. The program's evolution thus continued beyond television, into a news system operating simultaneously across television, radio and the internet.

Why the Main News Edition Belongs in Moreshet

The Main News Edition merits inclusion in Moreshet because it is more than a television program. It is a communications institution that documented more than three decades of Israeli life. Its broadcasts covered defining moments such as Rabin's assassination, military conflicts, elections, economic changes and social developments, bringing these events into the homes of millions of viewers.

Its history also reflects changes in Israeli society and in the position of women in national media, notably through the careers of Miki Haimovitz and Yonit Levi. The transition from Channel 2 to Keshet 12 and the creation of N12 demonstrate how the program adapted to a media world shaped by multiple screens and continuous digital news.

Preserving this record of the country's public life, language and shared news experience is an important part of cultural and civic memory. For that reason, the Main News Edition is a fitting subject for Moreshet.com, alongside the people, institutions and events that have shaped Israeli life.