;.cPeres midnight meeting
;.l1,3,63,66,1,0,10,75,192,2,15,20,25,127,10,0,
;.l2,15,75,192,2,20,25,127,15,0,
;.l3,20,75,192,2,25,127,20,0,
MEDIA BIAS
TO:    David bar-Ilan, Eye on Media, Jlem Post
FROM:  Steve Amdur, Kibbutz Haon, Jordan Valley, 15170 Israel.
       Telephone:  972-6-757572; FAX:  972-6-757554
OCB E-Mail (to 4/96):  100310.15116@compuserve.com 
DATE:  2/29/96
RE:    English News 
REF:   English Radio News  (morning) 4 MAR 96
       Jlem Post 5 MAR 96 (Hattis Rolef)

" = quote as recollected; approximate.
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This is an approximate memo, since I lost my notes:

TEXTS:
English AM Radio news 4(?) MAR 96 reported that Peres held amidnight meeting with President Weizman "in quest of nationalunity" ; then the news-reader added (recollection, approximate):"This is same President who previous [questioned the government'spolicies] [and even questioned whether the government has amajority]"

Hattis Rolef, JP 5 MAR, remarks: "President Weizman advocateddealing exclusively with the terror, and -- and least for the timebeing -- dropping the peace process altogether.  With the publicmood what it is, there is probably a majority supporting him onthis point."

COMMENTS:
	I do not recall seeing that reported elsewhere.
	One might guess that it was a statement of this position, ofwhich Hattis Rolef learned, that Peres headed off by his midnightmeeting.        

	The point at issue is the apparent collaboration of EnglishRadio News in that move by Peres.   Reporting a confidentialmeeting would seem questionable.  The source for that report wasquite likely Peres.  The President's office does not seem to havebeen consulted.  
	So far that's arguably within bounds.

	The editorial remark by English radio, would seem quiteunusual
l2
 -- one does not ordinarily use the report of a confidentialmeeting to make gratuitious jabs at the President of theState, particularly if the President's office was notinvolved in that report -- 
l1
and would seem, by its timing to have been intended to pre-emptany possible statement that day (the day immediately following thesecond bombing) by the President of the position indicated byHattis Rolef.

	In short, it would seem that Peres used English radio news ina precisely-timed political move to block public questioning ofhis policy by the President.   
l2
	The editorialized news report would have come to theattention the office of the President at the outset of thenext day (5 MAR) and set the stage for putting any criticalpublic staement which he might then have made in anunfavorable light.
 



 