Israel Lottery Pulled TV Advertising Over Alleged Ex-Mossad Chief Infidelity

Israel’s National Lottery (Mifal Hapayis) pulled its publicizing from a popular telecasting electronic network after it broadcast claims that former Mossad manager Yossi Cohen had a fling with a married flight of stairs attendant, Haaretz alleges.

Lottery chairman Avigdor Yitzhaki admitted to the Israeli newspaper publisher that he pressured Channel 13 executives non to program the investigative documentary Hamakor (The Source). But he denies knifelike advertising to punish the station.

Sources at the TV send told Haaretz they don’t trust him.

After its Dec broadcast, a scheduled encounter between Channel 13 and the lottery to discuss publicizing for 2022 was hastily canceled.

Hamakor alleged that Cohen, who headed upwardly Mossad under former prime of life diplomatic minister Benjamin Netanyahu until June 2021, shared tender entropy with the flight sequent and her now ex-husband, Guy Striker.

‘Blabbermouth’ Spy Chief

The husband, who was interviewed by docudrama makers, described Cohen as a “blabbermouth” who boasted to the match well-nigh his Mossad activities. These allegedly included that the intelligence information federal agency was tracking the MD of an Arabian leader and that Cohen used to posture as an Arab tour guide during undercover operations.

Cohen has denied the affaire and leaking say secrets.

Yitzhaki, an relate of Cohen, said that he had met with Avi Ben Tal, CEO of Channel 13 possessor Reshet, prior to the program to urge on him not to extend it.

“Since when does the media here trade with such tabloid rubbish, with screwing around?” Yitzhaki asked Ben Tal, according to Haaretz.

Yitzhaki was told that no tidings system inwards the humanity would pass on on this variety of scoop.

Now, Channel 13 is intuitive feeling the pinch. Prior to the broadcast, the drawing allocated 36.4 percent of its TV publicizing budget to Channel 13, the second-most popular TV channel inwards Israel, and 53.4 percent to Keshet 12, the most popular.

But in the 2 months since the broadcast, 90 percent of the expend has gone to Keshet and only ii percent to Reshet.

The lottery is I of Israel’s biggest advertisers, and Yitzhaki applied force per unit area on Channel 13 at a time of financial difficulty. Over the summer, the station was forced to go off 42 employees, including prominent journalists, expert staff, and editors.

Netanyahu Corruption Charges

Yitzhaki was ordained drawing chief by Netanyahu, who was indicted for corruption inwards November 2019. Facing a felon tribulation on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, Netanyahu was ousted from force inwards June 2021.

He is accused of accepting gifts from Aussie gambling casino mogul William James Packer and his associate, the former Mossad factor turned Hollywood producer, Arnon Milchan.

He is also accused of attempting to control the press. This allegedly included Netanyahu promising the head word of Israel’s biggest newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, that he could convince another cassino boss, his friend the later(a) Sheldon Adelson, to gelded circulation on a competing Adelson-owned paper. That was if Yedioth Ahronoth agreed to conquer its criticism of Netanyahu, according to prosecutors.

Israeli constabulary are also investigating several claims against Cohen, including that he was lawlessly gifted $20,000 past Packer. He also allegedly received unloosen tickets for a Mariah Carey concert, Packer’s fiancée at the time.