A public dispute unfolded this week between Professor Moshe Cohen-Eliya, a panelist on Channel 14’s flagship program The Patriots, and journalist Haim Levinson, following the channel’s decision to omit transgender singer Dana International’s participation in Israel’s Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony from its broadcast and website.
Cohen-Eliya, a constitutional law scholar and regular contributor on The Patriots, took to X/Twitter to voice his disapproval of Channel 14’s decision, which involved skipping Dana International’s torch-lighting and removing her name from the official list of honorees.
“It's been brought to my attention that Channel 14 skipped Dana International’s torch-lighting and even omitted her name from the list of torchbearers on its website,” Cohen-Eliya wrote. “I strongly criticize this decision. Channel 14 is a Jewish-traditional network, but it's also a national home, and members of the LGBTQ+ community are part of that home. We must not discriminate against anyone, especially not based on sexual orientation. Even if this decision was intended to accommodate haredi viewers, it was wrong and disrespectful. You cannot include one group by excluding another.”
הובא לידיעתי שערוץ 14, שבו אני משדר, דילג על השאת המשואה של דנה אינטרנשיונל ואף השמיט את שמה מרשימת משיאי המשואות באתר.אני מבקר את ההחלטה הזו בחריפות. ערוץ 14 הוא ערוץ יהודי-מסורתי, אבל הוא גם בית לאומי – ולבית הזה שייכים גם אנשי קהילת הלהט״ב. כמדורת שבט ישראלית, אסור לנו…
— Prof. Moshe Cohen-Eliya פרופ׳ משה כהן-אליה (@moshecoheneliya) May 1, 2025
The back-and-forth argument between Levinson and Cohen-Eliya
The post drew a sharp response from Levinson, a journalist at Haaretz and co-host of a television program alongside Ofira Asayag on Keshet 12. In his reply, Levinson criticized Cohen-Eliya personally, questioning his role within the right-wing media environment.
“Professor, postdoc at Harvard, founder of the third most-cited journal in constitutional law—but you can’t grasp something simple,” Levinson wrote. “You are merely the pet intellectual of the ultra-Orthodox nationalist movement. Today you serve their goal of dismantling liberal bastions in Israel. They’re not seeking juristocracy but theocracy. And as a gay man, you’re not on the right side.”
Cohen-Eliya responded directly to Levinson’s attack, defending his role at Channel 14 and accusing Levinson of hypocrisy regarding freedom of the press.
“I work in a pluralistic environment that allows me to voice internal criticism—even of Channel 14,” Cohen-Eliya replied. “The day you dare to speak out against the silencing at your own newspaper—for example, the firing of Gadi Taub over his views, or the fact that Gideon Levy and Josh Breiner are barred from appearing on The Patriots—I will listen to your criticism. Until then, this is simple hypocrisy.
"You don’t defend free speech; you are an anti-liberal serving the old, corrupt elites at a paper that disparages the State of Israel on every stage while remaining silent when dissenting voices are silenced. You are not a free journalist—you are a coward.”
The exchange escalated further when Levinson responded: “Beloved professor—just a moment ago, you said your workplace isn’t pluralistic and criticized it for skipping Dana International. Now you say it is pluralistic? Decide on your argument. Happy holiday.” Levinson added a photo of a juicy steak to the post, writing, “Picture for traffic.”
In a final statement, Cohen-Eliya sought to add context and conclude the debate.
“Haim, as someone from the religious Zionist community, you understand that Dana International’s lifestyle is difficult for many religious and certainly Haredi individuals. I think they made a mistake here, but from what I see on The Patriots and other Channel 14 programs, there is genuine interest in hearing diverse voices. That is why people were disappointed when Haaretz issued an explicit directive to boycott the channel.
“If you care about pluralism, speak with your colleagues in Haaretz’s editorial board," Cohen-Eliya concluded. "Let’s see how committed they are to diverse dialogue—and whether they would allow Gideon Levy or Josh Breiner to return to appear on The Patriots.”
