The Israel Media Watch: A Threat to Freedom of Speech in Israel?

[David Ben-Ariel]

Watching Israel's Media: Freedom of speech in the dock_

Yisrael Medad and Eli Pollak
Nov. 23, 2003

What role does freedom of speech really play in Israel?

One week after the High Court of Justice allowed the broadcast of the
viciously anti-Israel pseudo-documentary Jenin, Jenin, representatives of
the State Prosecutor's office appeared in the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court
to argue for the harshest sentences possible in the case of the non-licensed
Arutz 7 radio network.

The prosecution asked for prison sentences for four defendants, including
Shulamit Melamed; fines of hundreds of thousands of shekels for Rabbi Ze'ev
Melamed, Ya'acov Katz, and Hagai Segal; and smaller fines for French
department head David Shapira and broadcaster Gideon Sharon.

The reasoning behind the request for such harsh sentences was that Arutz 7
had broadcast for over 15 years, and the defendants are "leaders" who must
serve as an example.

We should recall that not one plane fell from the sky due to Arutz 7's
broadcast signal, nor was it ever proven that the signal interfered with
Ben-Gurion Airport, as claimed by the authorities. Arutz 7 has
conscientiously paid royalties to all songwriters, while Israel Radio's
local stations have not for the past decade. Among the people who have had
regular programs on Arutz 7 are chief rabbis, the Knesset Speaker, cabinet
ministers, MKs, leading lawyers, professors, thinkers, and more.

That the attorney-general and state prosecutor ignore almost 150 other
non-licensed stations indicates that a very_ __ specific lesson is intended
for the religious-nationalist camp.
Part of that lesson, it would appear, is that Attorney-General Elyakim
Rubinstein is willing to be lenient what it suits him and to behave
otherwise when it doesn't. He has consistently declared that the less he
involves the application of criminal procedure in matters of political
divisiveness the better.

For example, in the matter of the Wakf digs on Temple Mount, he received
letters pointing out that the destruction of its archeological treasures was
unlawful and violated, at the very least, the Antiquities Law and Law of
Planning. His response was to do nothing in public.

In a more recent instance, when it was claimed that Yossi Beilin was in
direct violation of Paragraph 97 of the Penal Code in acting to extricate
territory from Israel's sovereignty, he again insisted that this was an
issue for public debate, not the courtroom.

WHAT MAKES the case of Arutz 7 different? Is the Telegraph Law, which bans
non-licensed radio stations, really that crucial to the state's legal
fabric?

We should not forget that as per the Oslo Accords, several radio broadcast
channels were handed over to the Palestinian Authority. The performance of
these stations has been undemocratic if not downright inciting. The IDF has
even bombed these stations out of existence or knocked out their antennas.
As far as we are aware, Arutz 7 has not been charged with any similar
activities.
So why all the fuss?

The answer lies in the realization that the media, especially the electronic
media which is for the most part free and easily available, is a pillar of
society. The ability to affect society, shape its opinions, and provide it
with information and the ability to choose_ these are the real powers of
the media.

To our regret, Israeli society is poorly served media-wise. The field is
plagued by bias, political interference, journalistic unprofessionalism and
a lack of pluralism.
Israel does not have even one independent, private news outlet among its
broadcast media. Army Radio and the Israel Broadcast Authority are
governmental.

The regional radio stations are not permitted to present their own news
service. Channel 2 TV's news is run by its news company, which is
government-controlled. Arutz 7 was the only truly private broadcaster of
news in this country.

The Telegraph Law is clearly an excuse for silencing an independent news
outlet. What is really at issue is freedom of speech in its true sense. Had
we been a truly liberal country, we would have found a way for Arutz 7 and
its counterparts to continue broadcasting.

The writers are, respectively, board member and chairman of Israel's Media
Watch (IMW). info@imw.org.il

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid
=1069487632637

 

[Nommos Prime (Dogon)]

Israel's Media Whitewash

Posted by David Ben-Ariel:

“To our regret, Israeli society is poorly served media-wise. The field is
plagued by bias, political interference, journalistic unprofessionalism and
a lack of pluralism.
Israel does not have even one independent, private news outlet among its
broadcast media. Army Radio and the Israel Broadcast Authority are
governmental.”

I think that’s about the most sensible thing you’ve said yet.

“What role does freedom of speech really play in Israel?”

The same role it plays in most nations on itty-bitty Earth now. It is the role of propaganda to saturate the minds of us cattle-humans and keep the ruling elite in power. From speaking to conscientious objectors to Israeli military drafts, I’d say VERY LITTLE. Freedom of Speech is essential for any “purported” democracy, but it doesn’t exist in Israel. If one causes to much of a stir (by this I mean people actually pay attention to your ranting), Mossad always make one “disappear”. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Israel or Australia, those clowns will “come-a-lookin”. I remember when Vanunu (I think that was his name) spilt the truth on Israel’s Nuclear program in the late 80s. The poor bastard sought sanctuary in Australia from the government and ASIO, and his reward was to be betrayed by Australia and the entire world. Mossad marched into Australia (like they had ANY right!) and kidnapped him. That’s Israeli Freedom of Speech for you. He’s still alive and imprisoned in Israel (for telling the world about the Zionist bomb).

One more thing David Ben-Ariel;
I notice that the profile directly under your name states that you are from Toledo, Ohio, USA/Menashe. Is Menashe a real place? Or, is that just a play on “Ari Ben-Menashe”, the former Mossad agent who wrote the classic expose on the criminal and terrorist activities of that agency, entitled “Profits Of War”. I still own a copy of this book, which revealed to the world the scam of PROMIS and the Robert Maxwell connection. Menashe used to be a hero of mine, that was until his latest exploits (this year!) for that British mercenary organisation (which I shall not name) which was paid to take out the leading runner in the democratic election of an African nation. I assume he’s back working for Mossad.

 

[David Ben-Ariel]

[QUOTE
I notice that the profile directly under your name states that you are from Toledo, Ohio, USA/Menashe. Is Menashe a real place? ][/QUOTE]

Hey Dogon (is that dog gone or Dagon or neither?),
USA/Menashe are one and the same. I am one of the growing number of people who are recognizing and embracing the Israelite origins of the Anglo-Saxon and Northwest European peoples. The white Euro-Americans, especially those of English descent, are predominately the biblical tribe of Manasseh, son of the patriarch JOSEPH (sold into slavery by his jealous brethren and yet became prime minister of Egypt and fed 'em all during the famine). Manasseh is the English form of the Hebrew Menashe. So I'm advertising our ROOTS. Further proof of that can be found at www.britam.org[/url] or [PLAIN]http://www.thetrumpet.com/geo/na/docs/Literature.asp?view=Toc&id=34

I see you're from the Land Down Under the Milky Way. Sounds great! I'd love to visit there, as well as New Zealand and everywhere else down there I'm reading about in Paul Theroux's book, The Happy Isles of Oceania - Paddling the Pacific. An English girl who used to hitchhike with me through Europe and we lived throughout Israel, as friends and volunteers on various kibbutzim, married our Aussie roommate and now lives in Brisbane!

 

[drag]

Originally posted by David Ben-Ariel
Hey Dogon (is that dog gone or Dagon or neither?),
USA/Menashe are one and the same. I am one of the growing number of people who are recognizing and embracing the Israelite origins of the Anglo-Saxon and Northwest European peoples. The white Euro-Americans, especially those of English descent, are predominately the biblical tribe of Manasseh, son of the patriarch JOSEPH (sold into slavery by his jealous brethren and yet became prime minister of Egypt and fed 'em all during the famine). Manasseh is the English form of the Hebrew Menashe. So I'm advertising our ROOTS.

Couldn't you believe in Hindu or Tao or something like that
instead, they've so much better religions than
those in the western and middle-eastern worlds.
And it's healthier IQ-wise.