Controversial Israeli journalist Zvi Yehezkeli to speak in Australia

Few Israeli media figures working on Arab affairs are as recognisable, or as polarising, as Zvi Yehezkeli, who is scheduled to visit Australia as a keynote speaker in March.

A veteran journalist and commentator, Yehezkeli built his reputation over two decades covering Palestinian politics, Islamist movements and regional security dynamics, first as head of the Arab Affairs desk at Channel 10 (later News 13), and more recently as a senior commentator and program host on i24NEWS.

He is known for his strong statements about Arab and Palestinian issues, including blamings Muslim immigration for rising antisemitism across the west and supporting immigration restrictions. He has also garnered controversy for his hawkish views on Gaza, including saying Israel should have begun the war with the mass killing of Gazans.

Yehezkeli will be speaking at fundraising events in Melbourne and Sydney, with former Israeli president Reuven Rivlin and psychologist Dr Yamit Sol. The event is supported by mainstream community organisations including Wizo Victoria, the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, Magen David Adom, and Central Synagogue, as well as advocacy groups including the Australian Jewish Association and StandWithUs.

Born in Jerusalem in 1970 to a family of Iraqi and Kurdish Jewish background, Yehezkeli’s path into journalism followed earlier service in the Shin Bet security service and diplomatic security roles abroad. He later studied Middle Eastern studies and Arabic, including immersive periods living in Palestinian communities, experiences that shaped his on-the-ground reporting style and long-running focus on political Islam and Arab societies.