Eli Azur
{{Short description|Israeli businessman}}
Eli Azur (Hebrew: אלי עזור) is an Israeli businessman and the head of Mirkaei Tikshoret, a Tel Aviv-based media company.{{cite web|title=Company Overview of Mirkaei Tikshoret Ltd.|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapid=5723293|website=Bloomberg|accessdate=October 21, 2016|archive-date=October 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021131411/http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapid=5723293|url-status=live}}
Career
Azur started his career as a sportswriter for Hadashot.{{cite news|last1=Tucker|first1=Nati|title=Eli Azur Breaks Into Big-time Media|url=http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/.premium-1.534896|accessdate=October 19, 2016|work=Haaretz|date=July 10, 2013|archive-date=October 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020124302/http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/.premium-1.534896|url-status=live}}
Azur is the owner of advertising rights for Israel Plus. With Pini Zahavi, he also runs Charlton, a company which owns broadcasting rights for football matches in Israel.{{cite news|last1=Bond|first1=David|title=The man selling Rio|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/the-man-selling-rio-6316990.html|accessdate=October 21, 2016|work=London Evening Standard|date=July 18, 2002|archive-date=October 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021144435/http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/the-man-selling-rio-6316990.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Jackson|first1=Jamie|title=Profile: Pini Zahavi, football's first and only super-agent|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/nov/26/football.features|accessdate=October 21, 2016|work=The Guardian|date=November 26, 2006}}
Through Mirkaei Tikshoret, he runs radio stations in Israel and The Jerusalem Post. Canadian investor Leonard Asper sued for a controlling stake in the Post in 2005 after failed negotiations with Azur. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2006.{{cite news|last1=Popper|first1=Nathaniel|title=Titans Clashed in Battle for Newspaper|url=http://forward.com/news/860/titans-clashed-in-battle-for-newspaper/|accessdate=October 21, 2016|work=Forward|date=June 30, 2006|archive-date=October 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021141609/http://forward.com/news/860/titans-clashed-in-battle-for-newspaper/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Boyd|first1=Roderick|title=Jerusalem Post Ownership in Doubt|url=http://www.nysun.com/business/jerusalem-post-ownership-in-doubt/9264/|accessdate=October 21, 2016|work=The New York Sun|date=February 15, 2005|archive-date=October 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021140511/http://www.nysun.com/business/jerusalem-post-ownership-in-doubt/9264/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Horesh|first1=Hadar|title=It Was a Mistake to Do Business With Eli Azur'|url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/it-was-a-mistake-to-do-business-with-eli-azur-1.152323|accessdate=October 21, 2016|work=Haaretz|date=March 7, 2005}} He co-owned the Israel Post, which started publishing in 2007. In 2012, he launched Sof Hashavua, a newspaper only published on Fridays. In 2014, he acquired Maariv, another Israeli newspaper.{{cite news|last1=Averbach|first1=Li-or|title=Court approves "Ma'ariv" sale to "Jerusalem Post"|url=http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-court-approves-maariv-sale-to-jerusalem-post-1000930058|accessdate=October 21, 2016|work=Globes|date=June 4, 2014}} In 2020, he bought the Walla! internet portal from Bezeq.{{Cite news |date=2020-09-15 |title=Eli Azur buying Walla! from Bezeq |url=https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-eli-azur-buying-walla-from-bezeq-1001342782 |access-date=2024-12-02 |work=Globes |language=en}}