Netali Shem Tov: "I am a Mizrahi woman from the periphery, at Channel 13 they called me stupid"
Netali Shem Tov exposes the stormy behind-the-scenes of Channel 13, talks about the legal battle she is waging, and explains why she refuses to bow her head to her colleagues: "I said there is a red line, but the red line is what annoys them."
Journalist Netali Shem Tov, a former anchor for the Channel 13 news edition, was a guest on the podcast "Hakol Patuach" (Everything is Open) hosted by Avi Shushan. She shared details regarding the legal battle she is waging against Channel 13 News, alongside her feelings regarding the treatment she received from the employees of the veteran media organization during her employment.
The confession she revealed sparked a sharp reaction from the media consultant, and the two discussed one of the most prominent social issues in Israel, surrounding the feeling that the phenomenon of ethnic discrimination and condescension is still present in society even in 2026.
"There was that famous post about Yair Lapid that was truly sacrilegious. They called me stupid," shared Shem Tov. Avi Shushan, who was surprised by the revelation, hurried to respond:
"I must ask a question. If you weren't a Moroccan from Kiryat Shmona, would they dare to call you stupid? I don't think that about any other reporter from the 'right' camp — and I love Noga Nir-Ne'eman, I love Hila Alroy... no one would dare call them 'stupid'. Why do they call Netali Shem Tov 'stupid'? It is very convenient to take a person from the periphery and turn them into an object of ridicule as if wisdom and knowledge reside in a certain place. You are not a stupid woman, you are a very smart woman. As a feminist, you are supposed to say 'Wait a minute, there is a red line'."
Shem Tov thanked Shushan for the empathy he showed her and clarified that she made sure to set boundaries with the colleagues who spoke out against her due to her different positions:
"I said there is a red line, but the red line is what annoys them. When you dare not bow your head and say: 'Excuse me, I have opinions, I have independent thinking. You will think what you want, I will think what I want, and we will argue about it', it immediately leads to dismissal and condescension."
Avi Shushan noted that she openly identifies herself on social media. Shem Tov emphasized that since she chose to present her three main identities on her Facebook page, she began receiving both negative and positive reactions:
"There is not a day that someone doesn't thank me for it and tell me that it moves them, or gets angry at it and curses me. The simple truth is that I am a Mizrahi woman from the periphery — these are three identities that I am very connected to. To my femininity, to my Mizrahi identity, which is my roots and my home, and to the periphery, which is my mission in this world."
