Watch the fiery moment star ABC correspondent is confronted by right-wing pundit over his news reporting of the Israel-Hamas conflict
An ABC Middle East correspondent has been involved in a fiery stoush with a far-right commentator while reporting live from Israel’s Hostage Square.
Matthew Doran was providing rolling coverage from Tel Aviv on Monday when he was accosted by Australian-Israeli activist Avi Yemini.
Yemini accused Mr Doran of providing ‘biased coverage’ of the Israel-Hamas conflict in front of a crowd of Israelis, who had gathered to await the release of hostages taken captive by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks.
‘Do you hold your head in shame for the way that you reported in the last two years?’ Yemini asked, as the ABC reporter tried to walk away.
‘You’re here on this historic day thanks to Trump.’
But Mr Doran – a former Parliament House correspondent who was posted to Israel last year – hit back, telling Yemini, who has a long history of stunts such as this, that he was ‘just trying to make a scene’.
‘I am trying to do actual journalism,’ Mr Doran said.
ABC Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran (right) was confronted by activist Avi Yemini (left) during his rolling coverage from Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square
Yemini (pictured) hurled accusations at the ABC correspondent, baselessly accusing his coverage of contributing to a rise in antisemitism in Australia
‘Please leave me alone, I have said what I have said to you,’ Mr Doran repeated.
Yemini asked the correspondent why his taxpayer dollars should go to the ABC.
‘You demonised Israel,’ he said, without basis. ‘Do you not want to apologise? Do you not think the ABC should be defunded?’
‘I stand by my reporting,’ Mr Doran replied.
In 2019, Yemini pleaded guilty to assault after he threw a chopping board that hit his ex-wife of 10 years in 2016. He was handed a $3,600 fine.
He also pleaded guilty to sending her abusive text messages for over a year.
The ABC defended the correspondent in a statement to the Daily Mail.
Countless Israeli’s gathered at Hostage Square to await the release of all 20 hostages taken captive by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks, more than two years ago
‘Matt Doran is an outstanding Middle East correspondent who is delivering important journalism for the Australian audience,’ ABC news director Justin Stevens said.
‘His professionalism and dedication to reporting this story with integrity is highly valued by the ABC and by audiences. We stand by the work of Matt and our whole Middle East team on this challenging story.’
Mr Doran was a senior political reporter in the ABC’s Parliament House Bureau before he relocated to Jerusalem as a correspondent in 2024.
The journalist also served as a host of the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program, the broadcaster’s daily national affairs program.
Daily Mail does not suggest Mr Doran or the ABC engaged in biased reporting, or demonised Israel, only that Yemini made the accusations.
