Netanyahu Went to Court to STOP This Documentary
A documentary filmmaker reveals they obtained over 1,000 hours of Netanyahu's police interrogation tapes. Netanyahu unsuccessfully tried to legally block the film's premiere, and NBC reportedly refused to cover the story to avoid upsetting the Israeli Prime Minister.
Summary
The speaker discusses a documentary project based on extensive recorded material featuring Benjamin Netanyahu. The filmmakers gained access to over 1,000 hours of audio tapes consisting of police interviews with Netanyahu, presumably related to his legal troubles. When the documentary was set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Netanyahu personally took legal action in Israeli courts attempting to prevent the screening, but his efforts were unsuccessful. The speaker also criticizes American media coverage, specifically NBC's handling of the story. Initially, NBC planned to produce a significant piece about the documentary in advance of its premiere. However, at the last minute, NBC executives allegedly decided to cancel their coverage, explicitly stating their concern that reporting on the documentary would upset Netanyahu and potentially harm their future access to interview the Israeli Prime Minister. The speaker characterizes NBC's decision as playing an 'unseemly role' in the situation, suggesting that major American news outlets may be compromising their journalistic integrity to maintain diplomatic access to foreign leaders.
Key Insights
- The filmmakers obtained over 1,000 hours of tapes containing police interviews with Netanyahu
- Netanyahu personally went to court in Israel to try to stop the film's premiere at Toronto but was unsuccessful
- NBC initially planned to do a big piece about the documentary in advance of the premiere
- NBC executives decided at the last minute not to cover the story because it would probably upset Netanyahu
- NBC explicitly stated their concern that coverage would limit their access to the Prime Minister
Topics
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