Hizbullah Hoodwinks «Israeli» Officials!

Local Editor

Once again, Hizbullah proves superiority over the "Israeli" entity and its apartheid regime. But this time's superiority wasn't on the battle ground!

In a chain of cloak-and-dagger moves, Hizbullah managed to interview ex-War Minister Amir Peretz, MK Tzipi Livni, Major General Eyal Ben-Reuven, and Tomer Weinberg, an "Israeli" occupation soldier who was wounded while patrolling with captured soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. The interviews were aired Saturday night on Al-Mayadeen channel.

"Israeli" daily Yedioth Ahronoth revealed Tuesday that the interviews were conducted by an Italian journalist, Michela Moni, who told his interviewees that the footage was intended for Italian television and the BBC in Britain.

But reporter Michela Moni insisted he was also misled, maintaining the Palestinian producer who gave him the job told him the footage was for the BBC and Al-Jazeera.

"I, too, didn't know the interviews I was sent to conduct in 'Israel' were intended for Hizbullah," Moni said.

In 2006, two "Israeli" Occupation Forces [IOF] Humvees were patrolling the Lebanon border when Hizbullah launched a barrage of Katuhusha rockets at nearby "Israeli" settlements. The revolutionaries then raided the Humvees and captured Goldwasser and Regev, who later died in captivity. The operation sparked the Second Lebanon War.

Weinberg, who was wounded in the operation, pointed out that "in February, I was approached by an Italian journalist, Mikla Moni, who explained that he is gathering materials for a broad-based article on the event of the capture."

Tzipi Livni and Amir Peretz also admitted that they had been scammed. They had each been told that they were being interviewed for the British BBC and Italian TV, and they weren't informed that the film would be passed on to Hizbullah.

Meanwhile, Moni told the daily he was tricked by a Palestinian producer into accepting the task. He said, "Ahmad Barghouti, the producer who contracted me in al-Quds [Jerusalem], told me he was preparing the interviews for shows that would be broadcasted on the BBC and Al Jazeera."

Moni said he confronted Barghouti when he found out that his footage was aired on Al-Mayadeen. He further said Barghouti claimed not to know how the interviews made their way to the Hizbullah-affiliated network.

The Italian journalist also rejected the claims that he had presented himself as an Italian journalist.

Italian news agency Ansa said that, although Moni works with them, "we did not send Moni to conduct interviews on the incident... and the interviews were not aired by us."

General Eyal Ben-Reuven indicated that "this is a severe act, and I am considering taking legal action against the Italian journalist. Obviously, if I had known that the interview would be aired on Hizbullah's channel, I would not have interviewed. Someone has hoodwinked us."

On Saturday, al-Mayadeen TV broadcast previously unreleased footage of Hizbullah fighters training for the operation that launched the Second Lebanon War.

The broadcast is part of a three-episode documentary series commemorating the war's 10th anniversary.

Furthermore, Hizbullah broadcast also included reconnaissance footage taken by the group of the site along the border - Point 105 in IOF parlance - near the Lebanese village of Aita el-Sha'ab, where the operation took place.

Also, Audio of IOF radio communications, including Ehud Goldwasser's voice shortly before the operation, were included in the footage.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team