Veteran journalist Oren Nahari dies of ALS at 70, days after final radio broadcast

Prominent Israeli journalist Oren Nahari died on Thursday at age 70, less than a year after announcing he had been diagnosed with ALS and days after his final radio broadcast.

Nahari worked for several decades as a foreign affairs reporter and news anchor on the now-defunct Israel Broadcasting Authority, also known as Channel 1, as well as its successor’s radio station Kan Reshet Bet.

In recent years, he had been hosting the popular “A Year in an Hour” podcast and radio program about 20th-century history.

Nahari also had a Saturday morning radio program, “Shabbat with Oren Nahari.” This past Saturday, he announced on air that it would be his last broadcast, saying, “The disease is progressing quickly. It’s harming my ability to breathe, swallow and speak.”

“I’m not saying goodbye to the world yet, only to the studio and the microphone. To this frequency that was with me for so many years. The stories will continue to be written without me.”

“The stories will continue to be written, even without me. Other articles and reporters will continue to bring them to you. But remember: the world is wide and complex. Look at it with open eyes. That was my mission. This is my last request to you: keep looking, keep listening, keep asking questions, don’t take things for granted and keep being interested,” he said.

Nahari was surprised by a message from President Isaac Herzog that was played during the broadcast

“You opened a window to the wider world for us. With rare talent, you knew how to take complex issues, in all kinds of fascinating fields – in history, culture, science, society and politics – and turn them into fascinating and accessible articles and programs for everyone,” Herzog said.

אורן נהרי ❤️❤️❤️איזה איש מדהים ומרגש. pic.twitter.com/TqaIaBpOcM

— הדר סגל Hadar Segal ???????? (@hadarse) August 8, 2026

Born in Haifa, Nahari began his journalistic career covering sports for Channel 1 in 1980.

In 1985, he became a foreign affairs correspondent and was one of the founders of the channel’s weekly foreign affairs TV show, “Seeing the World,” through which he covered some of the most significant events of the twilight of the 20th century, such as the first democratic elections in South Africa and the Rwandan Genocide.

His career led him to interview several significant global figures, including former US president George W. Bush, former Czech statesman Vaclav Havel, former South African president Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama.

Nahari left Channel 1 in 2016 ahead of its closure, disgruntled over the conduct of negotiations to join the new Kan public broadcaster, according to The Marker at the time.

He subsequently worked at the Walla news site as a foreign news editor and commentator until 2021. He returned to public broadcasting in 2023  to host “Shabbat with Oren Nahari.”

Herzog expressed his “profound sorrow” over Nahari’s death on Thursday, noting that he had wished him well just days earlier.

“For decades, Oren opened a window to the wider world for all of us, and he did so with rare talent, curiosity, professionalism and an open heart,” Herzog said.

“Oren leaves behind a journalistic and cultural legacy and a unique voice that will be greatly missed,” he added.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said Nahari was “a voice for culture, sanity, broad education, and genuine intellectual curiosity.”

Nahari’s funeral was scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Menucha Nechona Cemetery in Kfar Saba.

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