Dan Raviv, the Israeli correspondent for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) who flew to Rome last week to file a story alleging Israeli nuclear cooperation with South Africa, had his press credentials revoked today. Zeev Hefetz, director of the Government Press Office, took the action on the recommendation of the chief military censor, Col. Yitzhak Shani.
Raviv’s story, broadcast by CBS in the United States Thursday night, claimed that Israel and South Africa jointly tested a nuclear device in the South Atlantic last September. This was flatly denied by Israel. “Nonsense, there was nothing of the kind,” Defense Minister Ezer Weizman declared Friday. Raviv based his report on an as yet unpublished book written by two Israeli journalists, Eli Techer and Ami Dor-On. The book is currently under examination by the censor because it contains material of a classified nature. Raviv flew to Rome to avoid the Israeli censor to which all security sensitive material must be submitted.
Hefetz informed CBS news chief William Leonard and the Foreign Press Association in Israel of his action. He sent an official letter to CBS Bureau Chief Charles Wolfson requesting that Raviv’s press card be returned to the GPO by March 1. It is understood that Raviv is still in Europe. (See related story on Page 2.)
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