MSNBC president Phil Griffin (center right) along with MSNBC executives Jeremy Gaines and Deb Finan in Israel.

MSNBC president Phil Griffin is on his way back from Israel tonight following the announcement that MSNBC is now available on Israel’s main cable network, HOT. Before he left, Griffin planted a tree in Jerusalem in memory of former MSNBC, NBC, ABC and CBS executive Jeff Gralnick who died in May.

“Jeff Gralnick was an extraordinary man whose last great act was to bring MSNBC to Israel, as part of his vision that MSNBC needed to go international,” said Griffin. “Planting trees in his memory is a perfect way to celebrate a man who had such an impact on modern-day media.”

HOT cable television began carrying MSNBC on Tuesday, replacing CNN which was dropped last month. The Jerusalem Post reports HOT removed CNN after the network refused “to match the terms of their previous contract because CNN has slipped behind Fox News as the top-rated news network.”

(h/t ICN)