Is the Deck Stacked against Bibi?

The chances are rising that investigators for the Israel Police will wrap up the probe by the end of December at which time they will either recommend an indictment or close the case (Photo: FLASH90)

I t’s not every day that the reporter who breaks a major story of alleged political corruption concedes that the media is biased against the target of the probe.

Yet that’s what happened during a panel discussion at last week’s Eilat Journalists Conference where several of Israel’s most seasoned political writers debated whether the reporting on the various scandals surrounding Prime Minister Netanyahu is a “Bolshevik plot” against him or a sign of a robust free press.

“Netanyahu’s feeling that the media is out to get him is not unfounded” said Guy Peleg the Channel 2 reporter who broke the “Case 2000” story in January in which Netanyahu is suspected of allegedly providing business favors to Noni Mozes the publisher of Yediot Acharonot in return for Mozes arranging more favorable coverage for Bibi.