Journalist Says Israeli Army Radio Tried To Block Sheldon Adelson Report

Image by getty images

By Jesse Bernstein July 24, 2017

Former Army Radio journalist Avner Hofstein says that his investigation into possible misconduct in billionaire businessman and philanthropist Sheldon Adelson’s relationship with Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center was blocked by his superiors.

Hofstein, once the head of investigative reporting at Army Radio, also claimed in a Facebook post that he was threatened with dismissal after refusing to reveal a source, according to Haaretz.

Hofstein wrote that a year and a half ago, he had completed an investigative report looking into the possible acquisition of Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center by Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson, rumors of which had followed the latter’s appointment to the organization’s board of directors.

Included in the report was a recording of the executive director of the Hadassah women’s organization in Israel, Audrey Shimron, discussing the interest expressed by the Adelsons in purchasing the medical center. Shimron is the wife of David Shimron, currently embroiled in the German submarine scandal.

Hofstein says that higher-ups initally refused to broadcast the piece, eventually insisting that he reveal the source of the recording, which he refused to do. The report was eventually broadcast, but Hofstein was fired earlier this year.

Contact Jesse Bernstein at bernstein@forward.com or on Twitter @__jbernstein

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO