The Spy Machine was a documentary special about the work of the Mossad, made by Open Media and Israfilm and first broadcast by Channel 4 in May 1998. The producer/director was Per-Eric Hawthorne and the writer and narrator was Gordon Thomas.
Reception
The Observer wrote of the film:
The Times wrote:
The Belfast News Letter said this was the first time ever that Rafael "Rafi" Eitan, legendary first director of operations, was captured on film and went on to claim "the Israelis themselves are desperately unhappy about the Channel 4 film. It accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of personally authorising the murder of several of the country's Muslim enemies. Channel 4 used Israfilm, which is headed by Zvi Spielmann, a military intelligence veteran who used to head the Israeli censor's office, to open doors for its journalists. They were given unprecedented access to Eitan, former Mossad director general Meir Amit, Israel's longest-serving spymaster General Yoel Ben Porat, and former director of military intelligence, Uri Saguy."
The newspaper quoted Channel 4 executive David Lloyd: