The deal finalizing the sale of Israel’s daily Maariv newspaper was completed on Thursday. The newspaper was sold to publisher Shlomo Ben-Tzvi for 45 million NIS. The newspaper currently has debts amounting to 408 million NIS, 95 million NIS to its employees.

According to Globe’s Financial, Ben-Tzvi will be keeping 300 of the newspaper’s current 1,500 employees.

The mainstream media is abuzz over the sale, since Ben-Tzvi is the publisher of the right-wing Makor Rishon, and they now fear their beloved newspaper may lose its objectivity.

Employees on Thursday morning protested near their building demanding to know where their money is and what is in store for their future. They vow to hold a one-day strike on Tuesday, 9 Tishrei.

With the launching of the Yisrael HaYom newspaper a number of years ago, which is distributed daily for free around Israel, both Yediot Achronot and Maariv were hit hard, with the latter now in debt. Yisrael HaYom is owned by Sheldon Adelson and viewed as right-wing and supportive of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu while the veteran dailies are more left-wing. Adelson’s newspaper overtook the veteran competitors, today the largest daily and with the sale of Maariv to the Ben-Tzvi, the mainstream media is panicked over the possible loss of control of the print media.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)