Nehemia Shtrasler leaves Haaretz after 44 years

Nehemia Shtrasler (75), a senior economics commentator at the Israeli daily Haaretz, has asked to end his tenure at the paper after approximately 44 years, it was reported Wednesday. Shtrasler will publish his final column this Friday, and a farewell gathering in his honor will be held at the newsroom next week.

He began his career at Haaretz in 1983, when he was appointed senior economics editor. After sixteen years in that role, he moved to the position of senior economics commentator, a post he held from then until his decision to step down.

Throughout his career, he has been known as a champion of the free market and a sharp critic of monopolies, economic concentration and special-interest groups, themes that have run through his economic writing for decades.

Shtrasler holds a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in business administration from Tel Aviv University. Alongside his journalistic work, he authored the book "Veshelo Ya'avdu Aleichem" ("And That They Should Not Work You Over"), as well as the children's book "Le'an Ne'elam Etz HaKesef" ("Where Did the Money Tree Disappear").

During his career, he won four prominent journalism awards. In 1987, he was awarded the Outstanding Economic Journalist Prize by the Israeli Center for Social and Economic Progress, for his work promoting reforms and tax reduction.

A year later, in 1988, he won the Sokolov Prize following his exposure of the Arnon Yefet excessive-pension affair and his call to prosecute senior bankers to the fullest extent of the law following the 1983 banking crisis.

In 2011, he received an award for quality economic journalism from the Association for the Public's Right to Know, in recognition of his independent, original, and in-depth writing. In 2012, he was awarded a lifetime achievement prize by the Tel Aviv Journalists Association for his years-long struggle against economic concentration and monopolies.

Shtrasler's departure comes against the backdrop of additional changes at the Haaretz and TheMarker group. According to reports, the group is expected to lay off 35 employees, and Baruch Shay will be appointed editor of TheMarker. However, the report on Shtrasler's departure did not indicate that his decision is connected to these moves.