Channel 2 won't air Yigal Amir interview
News company decides to call off scheduled broadcast of interview with late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's killer after preview creates much turmoil among public, political figures
The Channel 2 news company will not be airing the full interview with former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's murderer Yigal Amir on Friday.
The decision was made after consulting with the news company's chairman Yehuda Lancry following much criticism received from public figures and politicians after Thursday's preview of the interview.
Channel 2 and Channel 10 broadcasted parts of the interview Thursday night, with Channel 2 airing about 30 seconds and Channel 10 showing 2-3 minutes. Both stations announced they would air the complete interview at Friday night's central edition.
Channel 2 planned to air a two-and-a-half minute long report on the interview, showing the parts where he confesses to the assassination of the former prime minister. The company stressed that they planned to show only the parts that dealt strictly with the murder, in order to stamp out any doubts, speculations or conspiracy theories in the matter.
Thursday's interview has created much turmoil in the media, as it showed Amir saying he did not regret the murder and that he had more respect for Palestinian terrorist than he did for some Israelis.
Amir told Channel 2 that he could have hurt then-Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on the night of the murder, but chose not to since he knew that Rabin was the central figure in the Oslo Accords. Amir also said that this was not his only opportunity to kill the prime minister.
This is the first time since the assassination that Amir has given an interview with the press, and the first time that journalists agreed to publish it. Amir's wife Larissa Trimbobler said the reporter deceived her husband into given the interview.
The interview sparked responses from all sides of the political spectrum. Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer urged the media not to publish the whole interview and MK Zevulun Orlev (National Union-National Religious Party) said the boycott and ostracizing of the PM's killer should continue.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Amir should not have any part in public dialogue.
The Channel 2 news company confirmed this report.
