David Witzthum

He has directed and moderated various documentary films, among them: The Nahariyade (2004) German-Jewish History (1996), (both in Hebrew and German versions), From Bittburg to Berlin (1985), The German Green Movement (1984), Germany and Its Past (1983), and many others on Jewish history (e.g. Po-Lan-Ya – the 1000-year history of Polish Jewry, a 7 parts television documentary, 1999), German history and politics, and classical music.

From 1995, he has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem (German History and Communication studies), Tel Aviv University (Political Science and Communication Studies) Open University and other institutions in Israel and abroad.

Witztum has been a journalist with the Israel Broadcasting Authority since 1971. He became chief foreign editor in 1972 and rejoined Israel Radio in 1977 upon return from England. In summer 1982 he was sent to Europe as Bureau Chief and Correspondent in Europe for IBA Television and Radio, stationed in Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany (till 1985). In 1987 he moved to television as Chief Foreign Editor, Israel Public Television (Channel 1) and in 1988 became the first Moderator and Editor of the weekly foreign newsmagazine Roim Olam which started August 20, 1988. In 1991 he joined Yedioth Aharonoth, Israel's largest daily newspaper, as commentator on Foreign Affairs. As of 1994 – he serves as chief editor, commentator on foreign affairs and moderator of news and culture programs at the News division, Israeli Television (Channel 1) with responsibility to the nightly news program MeHayom LeMahar (From Today to Tomorrow), along with Emmanuel Halperin, and as moderator of the weekly news and culture program Globus.

A year later, he won a scholarship for graduate studies at the Collège d'Europe, in Bruges, Belgium, on European Integration, (Promotion "Mazzini", 1974), and then went to Oxford University, England (political philosophy, 1974–1977, at Wolfson College). Later, Witzhum received his M.A. Degree from the Hebrew University (Political Science) and started research towards Ph.D. at the Hebrew University (2nd and final stage – of actual writing the dissertation on "the image of Germany in Israeli television, 1970–1995").

David Witzthum was born in Petah-Tikva, Israel. His father immigrated from Berlin, his mother from Chernivtsi. He grew up (with his sister Orna) in Haifa and graduated from the Hebrew Reali School in 1966. After military service as a meteorologist in 1966–1969, he earned a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1969–1972).

David Witzthum (Hebrew: דוד ויצטום; born on January 17, 1948) is an Israeli television presenter and editor and lecturer on German history and culture. He is mostly known in Israel as one of the main presenters of the nightly news program MeHayom LeMahar.