False report leads to MK erroneously announcing death of Labor stalwart Yael Dayan

Party’s Gilad Kariv interjects during committee meeting to convey tidings of the passing of ‘our friend and our teacher,’ based on an incorrect news report

Labor MK Gilad Kariv incorrectly announced the death of party stalwart Yael Dayan during a Knesset committee meeting on Sunday, before it became clear that the Labor veteran was in fact still alive, forcing Kariv to apologize for the mistake.

The embarrassing gaffe was the product of an erroneous report published by the Srugim news outlet on Sunday. After realizing the error, Srugim deleted the article and published a statement saying it “apologized” from the “depths of its heart” to Dayan and her family for the mistake.

Srugim blamed the matter on “human error” and said it was conducting an internal investigation to prevent a recurrence.

During a session of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, Kariv interceded in discussions to announce the death of “our friend and our teacher” Dayan, who is the daughter of famed former defense minister and IDF chief of staff Moshe Dayan.

After Kariv’s announcement, Naama Lazimi, another Labor MK, posted on social media to eulogize Dayan, a former MK and leading Tel Aviv city councilor.

Later in the meeting, Kariv once again interjected, this time to announce that Dayan had in fact not passed away. “She is loved — may she live a long life,” he said.

Labor MK Gilad Kariv at a Constitution Committee meeting in the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on January 29, 2023. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

Lazimi, labeling Dayan a “role model and inspiration,” also apologized for the error, and added: “May she continue to be a pillar of strength… when it comes to human rights, gender equality and peace.”

Ynet quoted unnamed Labor officials who denounced Kariv and Lazimi for “quickly pursuing headlines” instead of checking the facts.

Dayan, 84, has for decades suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by prolonged smoking.

In an effort to put the rumors to rest, Dayan was interviewed by 103 FM on Sunday. She was barely audible throughout the short exchange and instead relied on a caretaker to answer questions in English.

Late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin lights the cigarette of Yael Dayan, the daughter of former IDF chief of staff Moshe Dayan. (file photo; photo credit: Moshe Shai/Flash90)

The caretaker declared: “She’s okay, she’s still alive. She’s still fighting.”

In a separate interview with Ynet, Dayan said she did not know where the rumors emanated from and said she was surprised but not offended by the report.

In a 2022 interview, Dayan described her poor health and said: “There are days and hours where I cannot speak in a coherent way at all, but really I suffer mostly from boredom because most of the time I’m alone.”