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  israelwire Volume I, Issue 256 November 2, 1998

Israel's Media Watch Criminal Complaint Being Reviewed  by AG (IsraelWire-11/2-12:15 -IST) Israel's Media Watch (IMW) has learned from an aide to Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein that at the same time the AG will decide on pressing charges against Avishai Raviv for not preventing the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, he will also announce his decision regarding IMW 's criminal complaint that employees of Israel's Broadcasting Authority staged a "swearing-in" ceremony with the participation of Raviv shown on Israel TV in September 1995.

Yisrael Medad, IMW 's director, informed IsraelWire that he has repeatedly protested over the past three years the fact that even though IMW 's complaint was directed at IBA personnel, someone or some persons had that investigation conjoined with the other charges.  "The delay in this investigation itself almost borders on the criminal," said Medad.

Medad pointed out that the Shamgar Commission, headed by the former President of the Supreme Court, had termed the TV broadcast "a staged event".  Former Attorney-General Michael Ben-Yair was quoted as being astonished that charges had not yet been brought and stated that Eitan Oren, the TV reporter should, at the very least, had been brought up on internal disciplinary charges.  Avishai Raviv's first attorney, Inbal Rubinstein, now head of the Tel Aviv Public Defense Unit, had told Israel Radio on November 22, 1995 that Raviv had admitted the televised ceremony was staged in collusion with the TV team.

"And just recently", Medad continued, "Deputy-Minister Michael Eitan released minutes from a meeting conducted in October 1997 in which GSS head, Ami Ayalon, informed the government that in the week following the TV broadcast segment, Rabin's office made inquiries and was told that the whole ceremony was 'a fake, a double fake also of the television'."

"Given this body of testimony, I cannot see how Mr. Rubinstein would not seek a trial of IBA employees, charging them with criminal intent to deceive the public and commit a breach of trust as public servants and it is unfortunate that we've had to wait so long for the decision", concluded Medad.

ISRAEL'S MEDIA WATCH
P.O.B. 6023 JERUSALEM 91060
Tel:  972-2-623-6426 Fax: 972-2-623-6426
E-mail: isrmedia@netvision.net.il

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