• Dovid Efune, currently in talks to buy The Telegraph, previously published a story by a fake journalist that defamed a pro-Palestine activist.
• Efune, known for his hateful views on Palestinians, ran the story while leading The Algemeiner.
Media mogul Dovid Efune has begun exclusive talks to buy the Daily and Sunday Telegraph for about £550m.
Evince has previously published a 2020 story attacking an academic and pro-Palestine activist. The article, which appeared under a pseudonym using a profile image later identified as a “deepfake,” accused them of being “known terrorist sympathisers.”
British-born Efune, now based in New York, has a history of hateful statements regarding Palestine and Muslims and currently serves as publisher of The New York Sun and chairman of The Algemeiner, where he was formerly editor-in-chief.
In 2020, The Algemeiner published an article by an “Oliver Taylor,” who claimed to be a Birmingham University student. Reuters later uncovered that Taylor’s identity was fabricated, with experts identifying his profile photo as a hyper-realistic forgery. During his tenure as editor-in-chief, Efune’s outlet published Taylor’s article, alleging prominent London-based academic Mazen Masri and his Palestinian activist wife, Ryvka Barnard, were “terrorist sympathisers.”
Masri and Barnard, who have also contributed to Middle East Eye, strongly denied these claims, which lacked supporting evidence. Masri himself initially raised suspicions about Taylor’s identity, ultimately prompting Reuters to investigate. Following Reuters’ inquiries, The Algemeiner removed Taylor’s work, and Efune stated the paper had since implemented stricter vetting procedures.
As Efune seeks to acquire one of the UK’s most influential newspapers, his record of contentious statements has resurfaced. In October 2023, he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “a baby was found in an oven, baked to death by Hamas terrorists,” based on an unverified first responder’s claim; the story was later discredited, yet Efune’s post remained online.
In May, he supported Israel’s Rafah offensive, writing, “Israel needs to finish the job in Rafah,” despite UN warnings of potential mass civilian casualties.
In April, he denied reports of humanitarian suffering in Gaza, stating: “There is no famine in Gaza. There is no genocide in Gaza. Israel doesn’t target innocent people.” Efune has also publicly opposed Palestinian statehood and condemned the British government’s ban on US radio host Michael Savage, stating that the decision “epitomises intellectual dishonesty and moral cowardice.”
Concerns over Efune’s potential ownership of The Telegraph have emerged within the newspaper’s staff. The Guardian reported last week that some employees fear the acquisition could lead to biased editorial policies, with one anonymous source remarking: “We’re already pro-Israel, but people are worried he’s going to turn the Telegraph into his own personal propaganda sheet.”
