Israeli journalists fear for press freedom if UK billionaire sells TV channel stake

Union urges Leonard Blavatnik to scrap Channel 13 deal, saying it is part of Netanyahu plan to capture the media'

Israeli journalists have appealed to a British billionaire not to proceed with the sale of a stake in an Israeli television channel, which they warn would represent a severe blow to the independence of the country's media.

Sir Leonard Blavatnik, listed by the Sunday Times as the UK's third richest person, is selling a nearly 15% share in Channel 13, a commercial channel that has run critical news coverage of Benjamin Netanyahu's government in recent years, including investigations into the prime minister's financial dealings.