Israel's
Media Watch
update report # 36
March 24, 2000
Contents:
- IMW News
- Media News (Israel and Other)
- Words of Wisdom
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Donation information can be found at the end of this report.
Media News (Israel)
1. Landsberg Reinstated
Itai Landsberg, who had been relieved of his position as deputy
editor of
Channel One TV's "Politika" program, has been
reinstated. As noted in a previous
IMW Update Report, Landsberg was critical in the extreme about
the management
level of the Israel Broadcasting Authority. He had
published an article in the
"Seventh Eye" magazine from which we quoted an excerpt.
On Thursday, March 16, Landsberg's lawyer, at a hearing in
Jerusalem's
Labor Court, released a letter in which Landsberg wrote:
"I accept the
professional and journalistic authority as well as the
professional instructions
of TV Director Yair Stern and Progtrammining Director Yossi
Meshulam.
If, because of the article, it was understood differently, that
wasn't the
intention and I am sorry for that".
2. Less News on Channel One
The Programming Committe of the IBA plenum decided to trim 20
minutes
of news off its nightly broadcasting. The "Seven and A
Half" program will
end at 8:10 PM instead of being a full hour.
The committee were informed that, according to a recent survey,
some 40%
of viewers of Channel One's main news program, "Mabat",
had already seen the
Channel Two news at 8 PM. "Mabat"'s rating is 15.5%
over the past three months
and the "Seven and A Half" prgrasm's rating is 9.7%.
The Channel One TV's
news programs attract, in the main, the over 45 crowd.
3.
The Israel Radio correspondent covering Pope John Paul II's
remarks at the
Dheisheh Refugee Camp on March 22, that "probably the pastor,
the shepherds,
of Bethlehem were your predecessors; your ancestors", noted
that "the shepherds of
Bethlehem were Jews." This represents the first
independent comment by an
Israeli reporter so far during the trip.
4. IMW brings three reports on an incident which recalls the
suspected staged
Eyal "swearing-in" ceremony broadcast on Channel One Tv
back in September 1995.
IMW is still waiting for the Supreme Court to reset a hearing
date on IMW's
petition to indict reporter Eitan Oren on charges of breach of
trust in connection
with staging that film clip.
a) Police believe Pulse D'Neura prayer was staged
IsraelWire, Volume I, Issue 742 March 23, 2000
Police investigators are now looking into the likelihood
that the Pulse D'Neura prayer service which was televised on the
Mishal
Cham television program was indeed staged, adding they believe
the
participants may have were even been paid a fee to act as if they
were
taking part in the ancient kabalistic prayer ritual. Israel
Television news
aired footage showing the ceremony in Safed during which persons
described
as affiliates of the Chabad/Lubavitch sect were seen praying for
the death
of Pope John Paul II, Yassir Arafat and President Hafez el-Assad
- reciting
the ancient prayer service in the presence of the required forum
of ten
males and blowing the shofar (ram's horn). Police have already
summoned
Avishai Ben-Haim, affiliated with the Mishal Cham program,
suspecting that
he played a part in the ceremony, which now appears, was designed
to
discredit the right-wing and Orthodox communities. Police
Superintendent
Avi Azulai of the Galilee District is heading the investigation,
which has
been given broad powers, to follow leads in all directions,
primarily those
pointing in the direction of a staged event by television
officials.
b) Arutz 7 News, March 23, 2000
The mystical Pulsa D'Nura curse-casting ceremony against the Pope
of
several nights ago continues to be investigated. The
ceremony was screened
on Channel Two television, but those who led it claim now that it
was a
total "bluff." The police are investigating the
event and the circumstances
of its broadcast on television. Yisrael Segel - who was the
director both
of the program on which the Pulsa D'Nura was broadcast and
Channel One's Weekly Magazine on which was broadcast the fake
Eyal
swearing-in ceremony over five years ago - says that the
allegations
against his show are "a collection of nonsense."
The program's researcher,
Avishai Ben-Chaim, was questioned by the police today on
suspicion that he
coordinated and staged the entire event.
c) Channel 2 man arrested over 'Pope curse' - Police say ' pulsa
denura'
incident was staged to get film footage
By Sharon Gal - Ha'aretz Correspondent
Ha'aretz 24 March 2000
Police yesterday arrested a researcher for the Channel Two
television talk
show "Hot Mishal" after questioning him for several
hours on suspicion that
he may have helped stage a ceremony cursing the Pope that was
featured on
the program on Monday. Avishai Ben Haim, 32, from Jerusalem,
was interrogated
"under caution" and then held in custody. Police told
Ha'aretz that they are now
inclined to believe that the ceremony was staged last week
especially for
the television cameras.
After the show was aired, police arrested Meir Baranes, 31, from
Safed for
conducting a black-candle curse (pulsa denura) that was shown on
television;
his remand in custody was extended for five days on Tuesday by
Acre
Magistrate's Court.
Baranes told the court that the ceremony had been a "media
gimmick," which
he had conducted to protest against Israel's chief rabbis for
agreeing to
meet the Pope, whom he termed "an idolator."
Police thought that the ceremony had taken place at the
initiative of
ultra-Orthodox Jews from Safed, but that "Ben Haim pushed
them to do it' to
get footage for the program, a senior police source said.
Galilee District Superintendent Avi Azoulai, told Ha'aretz that
Ben Haim was
placed in custody "because there are additional suspects,
and his release
could harm the investigation."
Speaking to Ha'aretz on Tuesday, Ben Haim denied the suspicions
against him
and said the ceremony had been completely authentic. The editor
of the
Channel Two show, Yisrael Segal, also denied the allegations,
calling them
"arrant nonsense."
In his decision to extend Baranes' remand on Tuesday, Magistrate
Eitan Magen
said that the ceremony - whether a gimmick or not - could serve
as
incitement. "It is enough if people believe that the curse
is effective and
it may lead them to dangerous behavior," the judge said.
Words of Wisdom
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent
we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. -
George Washington
Contribution.
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