{{Short description|Israeli journalist (born 1960)}} {{Infobox person | name = Ben Caspit | image = Ben Caspit (cropped).jpg | caption = Ben Caspit, 2012 | native_name = בן כספית | native_name_lang = he | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|09|18}} | birth_place = Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel | education = Bachelor's degree in law from the Tel Aviv University | occupation = Journalist, Political commentator | years_active = 1985–present | employer = Hevrat HaHadashot | notable_works = *Netanyahu: The Road to Power *The Netanyahu Years | television = Meet The Press }}
'''Ben Caspit''' ({{Langx|he|בן כספית}}; born October 18, 1960) is an Israeli journalist. He is a political commentator and a senior reporter for the newspaper "Maariv HaShavua" and ''Al-Monitor''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ben Caspit - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/authors/ben-caspit.html |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=www.al-monitor.com |language=en}}</ref> He presents daily programs on radio station 103fm in the morning program alongside Yinon Magal and in the evening program alongside Aryeh Eldad, and also presents the Hevrat HaHadashot "meet the press" alongside Amit Segal on channel 12.
== Biography == Caspit was born in Tel Aviv, and grew up in Holon. He enlisted in the Israeli Defense forces in 1979, to the Armored Corps and served as a Merkava tank commander in the 7th Armored Brigade until 1982. He graduated from Tel Aviv University with a bachelor's degree in law. Afterwards, he worked as a private investigator and engaged in economic and insurance investigations.
In 1985 he joined the "Maariv" newspaper, by the recommendation of his high school friend, Emmanuel Rosen. He first worked as a sports reporter. Later, he served as a municipal reporter, a reporter for police affairs, and for four years was the Maariv correspondent in New York. When he returned to Israel, he became the newspaper's political reporter. In November 2012, as part of the process of purchasing Maariv by Israeli businessman Shlomo Ben Zvi, he was fired from the newspaper, along with other employees.<ref>{{Cite news |last=אברבך |first=לי-אור |date=2012-11-08 |title=בן כספית: "בן-צבי נפטר ממני בדרך עלובה; 'מעריב' ייקבר קבורת חמור" |work=Globes |url=https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1000797101 |access-date=2023-03-23}}</ref>
Shortly after his dismissal, along with those fired from Maariv, he was one of the first members of the new weekly newspaper, "SofHaShavua". In May 2014, after the purchase of Maariv newspaper and its merger with "SofHaShavua" by the Jerusalem Post group, he returned to work in the newspaper which was now called Maariv HaHavua and is one of the senior commentators in the newspaper, who writes opinion columns several times a week there.
Since 2012, Caspit has presented a daily radio program on the radio station "103fm", and is a columnist for news site Al-Monitor''.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ben Caspit - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/authors/ben-caspit.html |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.al-monitor.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
Known as a harsh critic of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Caspit has written two books about him ("Netanyahu: The Road to Power" and "Netanyahu: A Biography").<ref>{{Cite web |title=נתניהו מסית נגד שופטי העליון, התקשורת, ואפילו נגד ראש מוסד מנוח |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/journalists/Article-598680 |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.maariv.co.il}}</ref> According to him: "I admit that I am obsessed, I am a father of 3 children, and if someone wants to hurt my child, I will be obsessed with trying to stop him. I am generally quite right-wing in my positions, but I have been following Netanyahu since 1988, and I think he is dangerous for the State of Israel."<ref>{{Cite web |title=למה לא ביבי |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/journalists/elections-2015/Article-461879 |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.maariv.co.il}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=כיתאין |first=יונתן |date=2017-11-27 |title=כספית: "כל פרשיות נתניהו קשורות לחוסר יכולתו להוציא ארנק" |work=Globes |url=https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001213460 |access-date=2023-03-23}}</ref>
In January 2020, it was published in the "Globes" newspaper that over the years Caspit had passed on information to the police in various legal cases related to Netanyahu, including a recording of Judge Hila Gerstel talking to him about the appointment of Avichai Mandelblit to the position of Attorney General.<ref>{{Cite news |last=גרינצייג |first=אבישי |date=2021-01-18 |title=כך הפך העיתונאי בן כספית למקור משטרתי חוזר בתיקי נתניהו {{!}} בלעדי |work=Globes |url=https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001357558 |access-date=2023-03-23}}</ref>
== Notable journalistic achievements ==
* Exposing the exchange of messages between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad.<ref>{{Cite web |title=הקרב בין שתי הגרסאות של בנימין נתניהו הוא למעשה הקרב בין דת למדינה {{!}} בן כספית |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/journalists/Article-925549 |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.maariv.co.il}}</ref> * In November 2009, Caspit revealed the fact that the chairman of the committee that appoints the attorney general, retired judge Theodor Or, supported the candidacy of the director of the courts Moshe Gal, even though Or's wife was employed by Gal on a personal contract without a tender and without Or communicating this fact to the other members of the committee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=חשש לניגוד עניינים חמור בוועדה לאיתור היועמ"ש |url=https://www.makorrishon.co.il/nrg/online/1/ART1/968/648.html |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.makorrishon.co.il}}</ref> * In August 2017, at his request, a ruling was issued requiring the Jerusalem Municipality to publish the terms of Sarah Netanyahu's employment in the municipality.<ref>{{Cite news |title=בית המשפט הורה לעיריית ירושלים לפרסם מידע על העסקתה של שרה נתניהו |language=he |work=הארץ |url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/law/2017-08-20/ty-article/.premium/0000017f-f070-d497-a1ff-f2f0b5830000 |access-date=2023-03-23}}</ref> * In January 2022, he revealed that Benjamin Netanyahu was in talks with the attorney general Avichai Mandelblit to settle a plea bargain in his trial despite his public claims.<ref>{{Cite web |title=בסודיות מוחלטת: נתניהו והפרקליטות קיימו מגעים על עסקת טיעון {{!}} פרסום ראשון |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/journalists/Article-890800 |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.maariv.co.il}}</ref> Later, Israeli journalist Yaron Avraham revealed that Netanyahu approached the president of the supreme court Aharon Barak with a request that he support the implementation of the deal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=אהרן ברק תיווך: כך יזם נתניהו את הסדר הטיעון {{!}} בן כספית |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/journalists/Article-891555 |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.maariv.co.il}}</ref>
== Books ==
* ''Suicide: A Party Gives Up Power'', 1996 (on the Labor Party's loss in the 1996 elections).<ref>{{Cite web |title=ההתאבדות : מפלגה מוותרת על שלטון / בן כספית, חנן קריסטל, אילן כפיר {{!}} כספית, בן, 1960- (קריסטל, חנן, 1943- {{!}} קריסטל, חנן, 1943- ;כפיר, אילן, 1943- {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH990013776450205171/NLI |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> * Participated in the editing of the ''Israel 50 album'', which was released on the 50th anniversary of Israel, together with Yehuda Schiff, Danny Dor and Ilan Kfir.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ישראל 50 שנה : 1948-1998 / בן כספית ... [ואחרים] {{!}} כספית, בן, 1960- {{!}} כספית, בן, 1960- {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH990023017560205171/NLI |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> * ''Netanyahu: The Road to Power'', 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Netanyahu: The Road to Power by Ben Kaspit |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781559724531 |access-date= |website=www.publishersweekly.com}}</ref> * ''Barak: Soldier number 1,'' 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ברק - חייל מספר 1 / בן כספית, אילן כפיר ; עורך - דני דור ; [תחקיר - מיכל קאופמן] {{!}} כספית, בן, 1960- (כפיר, אילן, 1943- {{!}} כפיר, אילן, 1943- ;דור, דני, 1951- ;קאופמן, מיכל {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH990026053550205171/NLI |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> * ''Stealth Bomber: Ehud Barak, The Real Story.'' 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Goodreads |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53329041-stealth-bomber |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=Goodreads |language=en}}</ref> * ''The Netanyahu Years'', 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=The Netanyahu Years {{!}} Jewish Book Council |url=https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/book/the-netanyahu-years |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=www.jewishbookcouncil.org |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == Caspit resides in Hod HaSharon, has a son from his first marriage and two daughters from his second marriage. In August 2019, he separated from his wife Hila, after 20 years of marriage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-08-04 |title=בן כספית ואשתו נפרדו - וואלה! סלבס |url=https://celebs.walla.co.il/item/3251285 |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=וואלה! |language=he}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Caspit, Ben}} Category:Israeli broadcasters Category:Israeli television journalists Category:Israeli television personalities Category:Israeli journalists Category:Living people Category:1960 births Category:Maariv (newspaper) people Category:Israeli soldiers Category:Tel Aviv University alumni