Yaron London is an op-ed journalist and pundit, lyricist, actor, and TV host. Born in Tel Aviv in 1940, London’s father, Bezalel, was a member of the satirical Broom (‘matate’) Theatre company. Acclaimed Israeli author and creator of the beloved Hasamba teen adventure book series, Yigal Mossinson, who was close with London’s father, based the series’ main protagonist, Yaron Zehavi, on his friend’s son.
In the early sixties, London started working as a radio presenter with the Voice of Israel, before becoming the IBA (Israel Broadcasting Authority’s) foreign Parisian correspondent. Next, in the early 1970s, he began hosting numerous programmes on Israeli public television including chat shows Tandu (mostly remembered for London’s interview with singer Nisim Garame) and Petals. From 1989 to 1993, London hosted the much-loved children’s chat show, Kindergarten Party (‘mesibat gan.’)
The year 1993 marked the game-changing launch of Israel’s Channel 2. Upon the arrival of the new network, London quickly traded in his public broadcasting credentials and started making a range of documentary series for the nascent channel, including The Fat Man with the Sony. In the noughties, London crossed over to ‘new kids on the block’ Channel 10 where, from 2003, he co-hosted critically-acclaimed current affairs programme, London & Kirschenbaum, along with esteemed journalist Mordechai (Moti) Kirschenbaum. Following Kirschenbaum’s sudden death in 2015, London stayed on as the programme’s sole host for another three years until eventually stepping down in 2018. In 2009, he created the series London, Corner of Ben Yehuda, that earned him a Television Academy Award for Best Documentary Programme.
As a lyricist, London is behind several of Israeli music’s most timeless staples including The Telephone Song (‘shir hatelefon’). Eliezer Ben Yehuda, Allenby Bridge (‘gesher Allenby’), The Beautiful Life (‘hachaim hayafim’), If I were a Pirate (‘lu hayiti pirat’), Chirp, chirp Over the Dock (‘tzif tzif meal haratzif’), Scouts’ Ballad (‘balladat sayarim’), The Exiled King (‘hamelech hagole’), At Six or at Seven (‘beshesh o besheva’), and Come to Eilat (‘boei leilat’).
London appeared as himself in Assi Dayan’s 1979 film, The Hit, and also narrated the documentary The War After the War (Micha Shagrir, 1969). Highlights of his other screen acting credits include A Married Couple (Isaac Zepel Yeshurun, 1983), Sunstroke (Yaky Yosha, 1984), and The Owl (Amnon Rubinstein, 1988). He also appeared in the music video for singer Danny Sanderson’s monster ‘80s hit, At Uncle and Auntie’s (‘etzel hadoda vehadod’), and played the Israeli Prime Minister in the teen adventure series Hasamba 3G.
Between 1988-2007 London was a desk member of major Israeli daily publication, Yedioth Ahronoth. In 2007, he was awarded the Sokolov Award (Israel’s Pulitzer equivalent) for Journalism.
