On Wednesday night, unknown attackers threw a bottle with an incendiary mixture into the house of David Wertheim, the owner of Channel 12. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the attack caused considerable concern in the country’s media community. Wertheim, a well-known businessman and founder of Keshet Media Group, which controls Channel 12 and the popular news portal Mako.co.il, linked the incident to recent threats against journalists and his TV channel.
The management of Channel 12 expressed deep concern about the event and called on law enforcement agencies to take immediate action. Police have launched an investigation, including whether Wertheim received threats. The attack came amid growing tensions over press freedom in the country.
David Wertheim inherited a controlling stake in Central Bottling Company, the Israeli producer of Coca Cola, and owns 63% of the shares. In 2018, he also became the owner of a controlling stake in Mizrahi Tefahot, the third largest bank in Israel. The incident caused a wide response and a wave of support in society, which is concerned about the safety of journalists and media freedoms.
