MK Yehuda Glick
Photo: Gil Yohanan
MK Glick: Haaretz publisher sought my help in the Knesset
The Likud MK claimed that Amos Schocken attempted to enlist his help in thwarting legislation that was 'going to deliver a devastating blow to advertising in my paper'; Schocken insists talks were about all newspapers.
MK Yehuda Glick (Likud), who participated Saturday night in an event hosted by journalist Amelia Dweck, claimed that the publisher of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Amos Schocken, met with him in an attempt to influence him vis-à-vis legislation that would help to advertise in his paper.
“Half a year ago the publisher of Haaretz, Amos Schocken, met with me, along with their lobbyist, and he tried to convince me to support a number of bills that could assist him with advertising,” Glick said.
MK Yehuda Glick (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
“The publishers are business owners, and business owners have publicists and lobbyists who go around the Knesset.”
Glick also touched on the relationship between MKs and media outlets. “Everything is built for give and take. Usually, they meet every day with journalists who are willing to write about you for a story that you give them.”
Speaking to Yedioth Ahronoth, Ynet’s sister publication, Glick added, “Schocken himself called my office and requested a meeting. We sat with his lobbyist," who also also represents Yedioth Ahronoth. "At the beginning he was a little bit interested in my plans for the Knesset, but very quickly he started talking about a few bills which, according to him, ‘were going to deliver a devastating blow to advertising in my paper.’
Amos Schocken
He asked me to prevent this in the Finance Committee. We sat for three-and-a-quarter hours in his office, and the majority of the meeting was dedicated to an explanation about the damage that the bill would cause him.”
Glick clarified on Saturday that Schocken did not however, offer any kind of carrot or stick if he voted either way, adding: “I told him that I will examine the issue substantively. At the end of the day, I was not nominated to be a member of the Financial Committee so he didn’t make any further connection again, but I heard that he met with almost every member of the committee.”
For his part, Schocken denied ever having held talks with Glick strictly restricted to his newspaper. “I never spoke to Glick about anything related solely to Haaretz but, rather, to all newspapers, and obviously Yedioth and Globes,” he tweeted.
