Keshet and Reshet 13 Reach Legal Settlement Over Itai Dankner's Appointment
A legal compromise was reached between Keshet and Reshet 13 regarding Itai Dankner's appointment as news CEO, securing trade secrets protection while allowing him to assume office.
A legal settlement was reached on Monday between Keshet 12 and Reshet 13 regarding the appointment of Itai Dankner as CEO of Reshet 13's news division. Under the agreement approved by the Labor Court, Dankner committed to indefinitely protect trade secrets acquired during his tenure at Keshet and to strictly uphold confidentiality and non-solicitation clauses.
The terms dictate that Dankner is permanently barred from sharing insider details regarding Keshet's broadcasting schedules and proprietary research. Furthermore, he is prohibited from poaching employees from either Keshet or the news company, with compliance subject to direct judicial oversight.
The dispute erupted following Dankner's transition from Keshet 12, where he served as head of scheduling since early 2019, to helm the rival news division. Keshet petitioned the Labor Court to block the move, alleging a breach of a four-month non-compete obligation and the risk of sensitive data leakage. Conversely, Reshet lambasted Keshet's legal action as predatory and anti-competitive, while Dankner dismissed allegations of data transfer as absurd.
The high-profile appointment coincides with a major ownership shakeup at Reshet 13, which was recently acquired by Merit Fund, backed by tech entrepreneurs Assaf Rappaport and Yinon Costica. The new backers pledged to inject approximately $120 million into the broadcaster over three years to expand digital operations and upgrade studio infrastructure.
