Avi Ben Tal and Shalom Assayag Acquire Icon Israel for 4 Million NIS
Businessman Avi Ben Tal and comedian Shalom Assayag have acquired Icon Israel's digital assets for roughly 4 million NIS to launch a new media group named Buzz Code Digital Media.
Avi Ben Tal, businessman and CEO of Maccabi Tel Aviv, alongside comedian and media personality Shalom Assayag, have acquired the digital assets of Icon Israel for an estimated 4 million NIS, Globes has learned.
The duo completed the acquisition of 100% ownership as part of a strategic expansion to form a new media group under the name Buzz Code Digital Media. According to information obtained by Globes, they have purchased all of Icon's digital assets, including an Instagram page with 547,000 followers, a TikTok page with 140,000 followers, and a Facebook account with 16,000 followers.
Building a New Media Group
The acquisition is expected to establish a prominent digital media group in Israel that will acquire and manage additional digital properties in the near future. The partners intend to leverage the substantial exposure of these pages while implementing a comprehensive rebranding, content refreshment, and increased investment.
"We believe in the immense potential of the digital media world and social networks as a central growth engine," Ben Tal and Assayag stated.
Background and Insolvency Proceedings
Icon Israel was originally established by Yafa and Erez Fischler, with the latter serving as CEO. Erez Fischler has been facing insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings for about a decade due to millions of shekels in debts. In November 2025, a severe indictment was filed against him detailing multiple insolvency offenses, creditor fraud, money laundering, aggravated fraud, and tax offenses.
Following these developments, the operating company filed for court-supervised insolvency, leading to the appointment of a court trustee. Ben Tal and Assayag acquired the operations 50-50 directly from the trustee and Yafa Fischler, ensuring that Erez Fischler and his associates have no connection to the new venture.
