Misleading wording causes outrage
During a live broadcast about the release of Israeli hostages, Hayali used two ambiguous expressions: on the one hand, she spoke of "Palestinian hostages," on the other hand, of "normal Palestinians" who had been released as part of the exchange.
This sparked massive criticism on social networks. Many users accused the moderator of downplaying Hamas terrorists. According to official Israeli sources, the released Palestinians were mostly convicted terrorists or imprisoned Hamas members, not civilian hostages.
ZDF admits two errors – and defends Hayali
In a statement to the Berliner Zeitung, ZDF spoke of two "unintentional errors.
The broadcaster emphasizes that Hayali's wording was "clearly not intentionally chosen." The presenter was "looking for the correct term" in the live situation while visibly hesitating. In the remaining four hours of the program, she consistently referred to "Palestinian prisoners" or "detainees" correctly, according to ZDF.
Criticism of Repeated Missteps
For ZDF, it is not the first time it has had to explain Hayali's statements afterwards. At the end of September, the journalist had linked the murder of US commentator Charlie Kirk in the Heute-Journal to his "racist and sexist statements" - a phrasing that was also sharply criticized.
At that time, ZDF stated that the report had been "critically reflected upon internally" and discussed with Hayali. The aim was not to "suggest an understanding of violence or to relativize the act.
Vote of confidence in public broadcasting
The repeated communication glitches raise questions about the editorial control and language sensitivity of the public broadcaster – especially on sensitive political issues. Critics complain that such mistakes are increasing and undermining trust in the neutrality of reporting.
ZDF, however, emphasizes that it regrets the "unintentional errors" and is sticking with Hayali. There is no statement from the presenter herself yet.
