Israel’s Shin Bet security service removed freelance journalist Nick Kolyohin from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s “Wing of Zion” aircraft on Tuesday morning, just before the plane departed for Washington. Kolyohin, who contributes to Xinhua — China’s state-run news agency — as well as the blacklisted Russian state outlet RT and the American right-wing channel Newsmax, had received prior approval from the Prime Minister’s Office to join the press corps covering the Netanyahu-Trump meeting.
The Incident#
After boarding the media section of the plane, Kolyohin was approached by Shin Bet agents and asked to disembark. He was told that his “connections” needed to be verified before he could be cleared. The Shin Bet later issued a statement saying that “decisions are made in order to reduce risk to the prime minister and to the information in his surroundings.”
Kolyohin had been scheduled to cover the trip for three Russian television channels in addition to his other media affiliations.
Who Is Nick Kolyohin?#
Kolyohin, 42, was born in Moscow and moved to Israel at age 9 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He claims to hold only Israeli citizenship. He served in the Israel Defense Forces and previously worked for Israel’s Channel 10 (now Channel 13). Between 2011 and 2012, he worked for a government agency within the Prime Minister’s Office.
His current work as a freelance contributor spans multiple foreign state-affiliated outlets, most notably Xinhua and RT. Israel’s The Seventh Eye media watchdog has previously accused Kolyohin of being paid to promote Russian interests — allegations he vehemently denies and is pursuing civil legal action over, calling the claims defamatory.
The Xinhua Connection#
The removal highlights growing scrutiny of Chinese state media operations in Israel. Xinhua, as China’s official news agency, serves as a key instrument of Beijing’s global information strategy. Hebrew-language media investigations have raised suspicions about sponsored content and foreign state affiliations among journalists operating in Israel.
This incident follows a pattern of increased awareness in Israel about Chinese influence operations, including the unprecedented Knesset Spring Festival event that drew scrutiny for Beijing’s elite capture tactics, and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s own public accusations in September 2025 that China was running a media campaign and “legitimacy war” against Israel.
The Shin Bet’s decision to flag a journalist’s connections to Chinese state media — alongside Russian state media — signals that Israeli security services are taking the nexus of foreign state-affiliated journalism and national security increasingly seriously.
Broader Context#
The incident also raises questions about the intersection of Russian and Chinese state media influence in Israel. Both countries have been documented engaging in information operations targeting Israeli public opinion, and the fact that a single journalist contributed to both Xinhua and RT underscores how these networks can overlap.
China’s ambassador to Israel, Dr. Xiao Junzheng, has been documented using diplomatic events to advance Beijing’s narrative while deflecting from China’s record on issues like the October 7 massacre and hostage negotiations.
Source: The Times of Israel
