'Nothing is inevitable': Veteran journalist Oren Nahari on Israel, history, and battle with ALS

Veteran Israeli journalist Oren Nahari, known for his long tenure as the foreign news editor at Channel 1, is confronting a new reality following his diagnosis with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Nahari, who has always been driven by a pursuit of knowledge, leading historical tours and lecturing, now faces the unpredictable progression of this neurodegenerative disease.

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That’s the obvious question. A lot of people ask ‘How are you?’ and then get stuck. They feel it’s a ridiculous question. At this point, most of Israel knows that I have ALS. And me? I’m not living in denial about it.

He describes the initial signs of his illness, which began subtly. "In May of last year," he recalls, "I brought Vered her usual 10 a.m. cup of coffee, and she said, ‘Your hand is shaking a little.’" While initially dismissed, the symptoms intensified. "A month later, I told her, ‘I feel a bit weak on my right side. Something feels off.’" Despite a doctor's initial reassurance, further testing for Motor Neuron Disease (MND) was recommended.

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In May of last year, I brought Vered her usual 10 a.m. cup of coffee, and she said, ‘Your hand is shaking a little.’ I shrugged it off. But a month later, I told her, ‘I feel a bit weak on my right side. Something feels off.’

The search for information online after the referral proved devastating. "My world went dark. I immediately understood: this is what I have," Nahari states, referencing statistics about ALS survival rates. He observed a rapid deterioration, noting, "I could already see the deterioration happening – it was frighteningly fast."

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My world went dark. I immediately understood: this is what I have. I read that around 10% live more than 10 years, while 20% die within a year of diagnosis. And I could already see the deterioration happening – it was frighteningly fast.

His wife, Vered, initially struggled to accept the diagnosis. "She told me, ‘Until a professor or doctor looks me in the eye and explicitly says those letters – ALS – I’m not accepting it. It can’t be true.’" However, Nahari's own physical experiences left him with no doubt. The disease has progressed significantly, transforming his life from one of constant activity to one marked by limited mobility, a stark contrast he demonstrates by showing the restricted movement in his hands.

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She told me, ‘Until a professor or doctor looks me in the eye and explicitly says those letters – ALS – I’m not accepting it. It can’t be true.’