Roee Ruttenberg

Roee Ruttenberg is a freelance journalist, producer, and television news correspondent. He has worked for ABC News, CCTV (Chinese Television) News, Al Jazeera English and ZDF German Television, as well as several other international news outlets. His writings have been published in Ha’aretz and The Jerusalem Post. He divides his time between Israel and the United States.

Recent Articles

Ehud Barak and his wife in Istanbul, May 4 2013 (photo: Roee Ruttenberg)

Spotted in Istanbul: Former Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak

Former Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was spotted at an Istanbul airport this morning (Saturday). Barak was accompanied by his wife and a security guard. The trio was in transit and spent four hours in an airline lounge. Barak served as defense minister during Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009 and the 2010 flotilla offensive, in…

By Roee Ruttenberg May 4, 2013

Casting my first vote in the Israeli elections, Tel Aviv, January 22, 2013 (photo: Roee Ruttenberg)

Confessions of a voting virgin

‘I cast my first vote ever today. It was in the Israeli elections where one vote really makes a difference, and I truly cherished this moment.’ I’m in my mid-30s and I’m embarrassed to say I had never voted. For me, voting in the U.S. – where I spent much of my time – had…

By Roee Ruttenberg January 21, 2013

MK Hanin Zoabi says voting in Israeli elections is part of the struggle, after addressing supporters in Kufar Manda, January 2013 (photo: GS)

Palestinian MK Zoabi: Voting in Israeli elections is part of the struggle

The Arab League has called on Palestinian citizens of Israel to vote in Tuesday’s parliamentary elections. The unprecedented move by the multi-national Arab group, which in the past supported the Saudi Peace Initiative with Israel, comes as a voter turnout among the Palestinian citizens of Israel – roughly 20% of the Israeli population – is…

By Roee Ruttenberg January 20, 2013

President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas at a joint press conference in Whitehall. (flickr / Cabinet Office CC)

Abbas’ Fatah holds anniversary rally in Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip

Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement turned out for an anniversary rally in the Gaza Strip. It is the first such celebration that Hamas officials in Gaza have allowed since the two factions split nearly six years ago. It was a sea of yellow in the streets of Gaza…

By Roee Ruttenberg January 5, 2013

UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi calls for continued donor support for Palestinian refugees, Jerusalem, November 2012 (photo: Roee Ruttenberg)

WATCH: UNRWA chief says donor commitment to Gaza needs to continue

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, provides “assistance, protection and advocacy for some 5 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory, pending a solution to their plight.” The UN agency is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from the global…

By Roee Ruttenberg November 23, 2012

Palestinian journalists protest against Israeli attack on Gaza media buildings, Ramallah, 18 Nov 2012 (photo: Roee Ruttenberg)

WATCH: Palestinian journalists protest attacks on Gaza media buildings

Members of the Palestinian Union of Journalists and their supporters gathered in Ramallah’s Al-Manara Square on Sunday to demonstrate against an Israeli attack on two media buildings in Gaza. Ramallah, West Bank – Dozens of Palestinians in the West Bank – territorially separated from the Gaza Strip – protested in the territory’s administrative center…

By Roee Ruttenberg November 19, 2012

MK Michael Ben-Ari giving a speech at a protest against African refugees and asylum seekers in Tel Aviv's Hatikva neighborhood on May 23, 2012 (photo: activestills)

Israeli MK incites violence against leftists, Palestinians

It is reassuring to know that in Israel everyone can have their voice heard. Thus, an Israeli anti-war demonstration held last Thursday was countered by a rally supporting the military operation in Gaza by Israeli forces. But there should be a limit on free speech, especially when some of those voices are calling for violence against…

By Roee Ruttenberg November 18, 2012

Madrid street after police cleared protesters, 14 Nov 2012 (photo: Roee Ruttenberg)

WATCH: Spanish protesters join European demonstrations against austerity

Madrid, Spain – Thousands of demonstrators took the streets of nearly a dozen Spanish cities on Wednesday, protesting against government plans to cut spending in ways they say unfairly target the poor and working classes. WATCH Roee Ruttenberg reporting from Madrid.

By Roee Ruttenberg November 14, 2012

Scary: Romney/Ryan signs decorate many of the residential lawns in Boca Raton, Florida, Oct 31, 2012 (photo: Roee Ruttenberg)

U.S. elections: The majority voting on the rights of the minority

On Election Day in the United States, Americans are choosing between two different visions for the future of their country. And some are being asked to sacrifice their rights for the sake of one of those visions. Boca Raton, FL and Los Angeles, CA – Every four years, around this time, people begin criticizing the…

By Roee Ruttenberg November 6, 2012

Party of Regions rally in Kyiv, Oct 26, 2012 (photo: DS)

As national resentment grows in Ukraine, far-right party gains support

Although it has been accused of anti-Semitism in the past, the Svoboda nationalist party’s newfound success has more to do with a growing number of people who are disillusioned by mainstream politics and disappointed by a sluggish economy, than with people harboring genuine hatred of Jews. KIEV, UKRAINE – On Sunday, millions of Ukrainians cast their ballots…

By Roee Ruttenberg October 29, 2012