In a pre-Sabbath video message to the nation, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu mocked the report aired yesterday on a major television program, according to which he instructed the head of the Shin Bet intelligence service to wiretap the phones of the Mossad chief and the IDF chief of staff, several years ago.
The report has been vehemently denied by both Netanyahu and the then-head of the Shin Bet, Yoram Cohen.
"A new bombshell report came out yesterday," said Netanyahu in the video message. "There's a certain program that claims to present facts," he continued – hinting at the name of Channel 12's investigative news program, Uvda, which means "fact" – "and it claimed that I told the former Shin Bet head to listen in on the phones of the IDF Chief of Staff and the Mossad Chief."
"There is only one problem with that: it's a complete lie," the prime minister emphasized. "I'm not the only one saying this; the former Shin Bet head is also saying – it's nonsense, it's a lie."
"And now I'm going to tell you about my real listening habits," he announced. "Are you seated?" Netanyahu then proceeded to list some of Israel's top musicians, who gained fame in the 60's: "The High Windows; the Yarkon Bridge Trio; Arik Einstein; Yehoram Gaon; Josie Katz, Shmulik Kraus. The Beatles – the early albums, Abba – and guys from the present day as well. Those are the things I really listen to."
"And now we all need to ask: Will the media apologize for this lie? I doubt it," Netanyahu said. "So if you want to receive and hear the truth – go to my Facebook page. Here is where you will hear the truth."
Another former Shin Bet head, Avi Dichter, explained Friday that wiretapping of the sort that Netanyahu supposedly requested is a virtual impossibility. Any wiretap is subject to the supervision of the Attorney General, he said, and would be included in reports that the Shin Bet hands over to the Attorney General and State Attorney several times a year. Therefore – there would be no way to keep such a matter secret.