David Landau (journalist)

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David Landau
David Landau

David Landau (1947 - ) is a London-born Israeli journalist and newspaper editor. Landau was editor-in-chief of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz from 2004-2008.[1] He was the founder and editor-in-chief of the paper's English edition from 1997 to 2004.[2] Before joining Haaretz in 1997, Landau was the diplomatic correspondent of The Jerusalem Post for 12 years, and its managing editor for four years.

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[edit] Biography

David Landau grew up in the Golders Green neighborhood of London.[3] In the early 1960s, he studied at the Haredi Slobodka yeshiva in Israel. [4]In 1970, after completing a degree in law at University College, London, he settled in Jerusalem. Landau, an Orthodox Jew, is married to Jackie, a rehabilitation teacher of visually-impaired children. They have three children.

[edit] Journalistic career

Landau was hired as a cub reporter for the paper in 1967, during the Six-Day War. At the time, he was studying at a yeshiva in Bnei Brak and refused to return to England despite his family's entreaties. [5]Later, he was one of the organizers of the walkout staged by Jerusalem Post journalists claiming the paper's owner was commandeering its editorial line and seeking to turn the paper into a platform for right-wing views.[6] Landau's book Piety and Power: The World of Jewish Fundamentalism, was published in 1993. In 1996, Landau collaborated with former prime minister Shimon Peres on his memoirs, Battling for Peace. Landau was the first Israeli journalist to interview Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. [7] Landau stepped down as editor-in-chief of Haaretz in April 2008, remaining a member of the editorial staff. He was replaced by Dov Alfon.[8]

[edit] Controversy

Landau's comments in 2007, in which he reportedly told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that "Israel wants to be raped by the U.S." in order to achieve a settlement with the Palestinians, stirred up controversy at the time.[9][10]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Haaretz: Israel's Liberal Beacon, The Nation http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20070924&s=glain
  2. ^ Haaretz, Israel: new editor-in-chief - Editors Weblog
  3. ^ The Jewish Chronicle
  4. ^ Shofar News, 16 Things that Amos Schocken Didn't Know About David Landau, March 30, 2004, p. 14 (Hebrew)
  5. ^ The Jewish Chronicle
  6. ^ Editor's Note; Outcry Erupts at The Jerusalem Post Over New Publisher's Editorial Bent - New York Times
  7. ^ UC Berkeley Journalism - Events - David Landau
  8. ^ Dov Alfon named as new Haaretz editor-in-chief - Haaretz - Israel News
  9. ^ The Jewish Week News
  10. ^ Ha'aretz editor: Israel wants to be raped | Jerusalem Post