Alon Ben-David (born November 9, 1967) is an Israeli television and print journalist, specializing in defense and military issues. He is currently senior defense correspondent for Israel's Channel 13 and used to anchor the network's Friday magazine.

Biography

Alon Ben David holds a BA in Political Science from

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...

and a Master's in Public Administration from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. He was married to Israeli writer Irit Linur.

Journalism career

Alon Ben-David began his journalistic career as a military reporter at IDF Radio - Galey Tzahal - where he covered the

First Intifada The First Intifada, or First Palestinian Intifada (also known simply as the intifada or intifadah),The word ''intifada'' () is an Arabic word meaning "uprising". Its strict Arabic transliteration is '. was a sustained series of Palestinian ...

. After his discharge in 1988, he worked at Israel's national radio -

Kol Israel ''Kol Yisrael'' or ''Kol Israel'' ( lit. "Voice of Israel", also "Israel Radio") is Israel's public domestic and international radio service. It operated as a division of the Israel Broadcasting Service from 1951 to 1965, the Israel Broadcastin ...

- as a police affairs correspondent. In 1989 he joined Israel's Channel 1

Israel Broadcasting Authority The Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA; ) was Israel's public broadcaster from 1948 to 2017. History The Israel Broadcasting Authority was an outgrowth of the radio station ''Kol Yisrael'', which made its first broadcast as an independent st ...

(IBA) as a reporter in southern Israel and later as police affairs correspondent. In 1993 he was appointed military correspondent for Israel's Channel 1. Ben-David covered the Lebanon War, where he frequently joined IDF operations. He also covered Israel's 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon and the

Second Intifada The Second Intifada ( ar, الانتفاضة الثانية, ; he, האינתיפאדה השנייה, ), also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada ( ar, انتفاضة الأقصى, label=none, '), was a major Palestinian uprising against Israel. ...

, which erupted soon after. In 2006, he covered the

Second Lebanon War The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War ( ar, حرب تموز, ''Ḥarb Tammūz'') and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War ( he, מלחמת לבנון השנייה, ''Milhemet Leva ...

. In 2001, during a year of studies in the US, Ben-David reported from NY during the 9/11 attacks. In 2003 he joined Israel 10 as senior defense correspondent. In 2003 he joined the London-based ''

Jane's Defence Weekly ''Jane's Defence Weekly'' (abbreviated as ''JDW'') is a weekly magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, edited by Peter Felstead. It is one of a number of military-related publications named after John F. T. Jane, an Englishman who ...

'' as Middle East correspondent, and later became a contributor for ''

Aviation Week ''Aviation Week & Space Technology'', often abbreviated ''Aviation Week'' or ''AW&ST'', is the flagship magazine of the Aviation Week Network. The weekly magazine is available in print and online, reporting on the aerospace, defense and aviati ...

'' and ''

Maariv ''Maariv'' or ''Maʿariv'' (, ), also known as ''Arvit'' (, ), is a Jewish prayer service held in the evening or night. It consists primarily of the evening ''Shema'' and '' Amidah''. The service will often begin with two verses from Psalms, ...

''. He also used to anchor the defense magazine at '' i24News'' international TV network. In 2019 he released the docu-action series "Israel's Hitlist"
Reshimat Hisul
, depicting and revealing Israel's secret assassination operations. In 2022 he created and released the docu-series "War at your doorstep" https://13tv.co.il/news/war-for-home/, describing Israel's " Defensive Shield" campaign that suppressed Palestinian suicide terrorism in 2002. He serves as a senior fellow at the center for international communications at

Bar-Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, he, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic i ...

and frequently lectures throughout the world on topics relating to the Middle East.

External links

Alon Ben-David on Israel's Strategic Challenges in the Middle East at the IIEA in Dublin

Alon Ben David's Twitter account

Alon Ben-David inside Gaza Strip during 'Protective Edge'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ben David, Alon Israeli television journalists Israeli journalists Harvard Kennedy School alumni Tel Aviv University alumni Living people 1967 births Israeli radio personalities War correspondents