Between Admiration and Criticism: The Coverage of Nelson Mandela's Death in the Israeli Press

This short article examines the media coverage of the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela in the Israeli press. The study is based on a qualitative content analysis of 23 issues of the daily newspaper Israel Hayom, 17 news articles published on five leading Israeli news websites (Ynet, Walla, Mako, Arutz 7, and B'Hadrei Haredim), broadcasts from Channel 1, and 17 reader comments. The findings indicate that the Israeli media largely adopted the global narrative portraying Mandela as a historic leader, freedom fighter, and universal moral icon, emphasizing the international mourning and state funeral ceremonies. At the same time, the coverage was locally framed, focusing on Israel–South Africa relations and Mandela's views on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Alongside appreciation for his struggle against apartheid, the media highlighted his ties with Yasser Arafat and his criticism of Israel. The study also identifies a gap between the mainstream media discourse, which was largely respectful and unifying, and readers' comments, which reflected a more polarized and sometimes hostile public discourse. The findings demonstrate that the media coverage of the death of foreign leaders serves not only to report international events but also to shape collective memory, national identity, and political meaning within the local context.