Censorship in Israel

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Laws on censorship in Israel are based on British emergency regulations from 1945 that apply to domestic media, foreign newspapers and wire service transmissions from or through Israel.

The Israeli Film Ratings board rates, limits, and bans films deemed obscene, racist, or containing incitement to violence.^[1] Only a handful of films or plays have been banned outright (plays have not been censored since 1989).

Censorship with regard to security and military issues is the responsibility of the Israeli Military Censor. Regulations do not require all articles to be submitted for censorship prior to publication, but only those on a known list of sensitive subjects, such as security and foreign relations,^[2][3] or nuclear weapons in Israel. Failing to do so may cause the reporter to be cut off^[4] or, in the case of foreign reporters, be barred from the country.^[5]

The list of sensitive subjects, articles on which have to be submitted to censorship prior to publication, is determined within the framework of a censorship agreement between Israeli authorities and the "Editors' Committee", which is a body of representatives from the Israeli media. "There will be no censorship on political issues, on expressions of opinion or assessments, unless they hint on classified information."^[6]

Before the Oslo Accords and subsequent 1994 Israeli withdrawal, Israeli police and government controlled much of the Palestinian territories,^{[citation needed]} and with this, Israel censored the books and information Palestinians can read and output. By 1991, some 10,000 books had been banned, fax machines had been banned, and a number of phone lines had been cut. In addition, publications of anything with content considered "political significance" in the West Bank, Palestinian territory, had been prohibited, and Arab publications had been be "completely stopped"^{[dubious – discuss]}.^{[7][better source needed]} Following the withdrawal, the government of Israel has no enforcement in non-Israeli controlled areas of Palestine.^{[citation needed]}

Censorship of press[]

Reporters Without Borders 2007 report on Israel stated: "The country's journalists enjoy a freedom not found elsewhere in the region, but though 2006 was one of the safest years for them since the start of the second Intifada in 2000, many problems remain", mainly referring to the physical risks endured by reporters covering the conflict areas between Israel, the Palestinians and the Hizbullah in Lebanon.^[8]

Every journalist working within Israel is required to be accredited by the Israeli Government Press Office. Most applications are simply a formality, though the office is allowed to deny applications based on political or security considerations.^[9]

Following the 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis, Israel took steps to ban Qatar-based Al Jazeera by closing its Jerusalem office, revoking press cards, and asking cable and satellite broadcasters not to broadcast Al Jazeera. Defence minister Avigdor Lieberman had described some of Al Jazeera reports as "Nazi Germany–style" propaganda. It was not clear if the measures covered Al Jazeera English, considered less strident.^[10]

As of 2020, Israel ranks 88th in the World Press Freedom Index.^[11]

Censorship of Palestinian press[]

Reporters Without Borders have raised serious concern regarding the treatment of journalists in Israel, particularly Palestinian journalists. Their current section on Israel states: "[…] journalists are exposed to open hostility from members of the government. Smear campaigns have been waged against media outlets and journalists by politicians with the help of their party and supporters, exposing the targets to harassment and anonymous messages and forcing them seek personal protection. […] The Israel Defence Forces often violate the rights of Palestinian journalists, especially when they are covering demonstrations or clashes in the West Bank or Gaza Strip"^[11]

In their section on Palestine, they write that "the Israeli forces have continued to subject Palestinian journalists to arrest, interrogation and administrative detention, often without any clear grounds. In recent years, the Israeli authorities have also closed several Palestinian media outlets for allegedly inciting violence."^[12]

The killing of journalists[]

In 2019, Christophe Deloire, director-general of Reporters Without Borders, accused Israel of war crimes after two journalists were shot and killed by the IDF in Gaza while covering a protest.^[13][14] In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Deloire said that "when Israel shot those journalists, it was intentional… The journalists could be clearly identified as journalists, with cameras and jackets and it could not be just by chance".^[13]

A commission of inquiry mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council came to the conclusion that the shooting with live ammunition by the IDF, which ultimately resulted in 183 casualties, was a "serious human rights and humanitarian law violations" which "may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity". The Commission found "reasonable grounds" to believe that Israeli snipers shot at journalists, while knowing they were clearly recognizable as such.^[15]

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 18 Palestinian journalists were killed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories between 2001-2021.^[16]

Military censorship[]

The Israeli Military Censor has the power to prevent publication of certain news items. The censorship rules largely concern military issues such as not reporting if a missile hit or missed its target, troop movements, etc. but it is also empowered to control information about the oil industry and water supply.^[9] Journalists who bypass the military censor or publish items that were censored may be subject to criminal prosecution and jail time; the censor also has the authority to close newspapers. However, these extreme measures have been rarely used.^[17] One notable instance where a newspaper was closed temporarily was in the case of the Kav 300 affair where it was eventually discovered that the censor was used by the Shin Bet to cover up internal wrongdoings in the agency and led to one of the biggest public scandals in Israel during the 1980s. Following the incident the two main papers, HaAretz and Yediot Ahronot stopped participating in the Editors' Committee.

In 1996 a new agreement was reached and the Editors' Committee resumed operation. The new agreement allowed military censorship only of articles clearly harmful to national security and allowed the supreme court to override military decisions.

According to information provided by the military censor in response to a Freedom of Information request, in 2017 the censor banned the publication of 271 articles outright, and fully or partially redacted 21% of the articles submitted to it.^[18]

In 2018, the censor prohibited the publication of 363 news articles, and partially or fully redacted 2,712 news items submitted to it for prior review.^[19] This amounts to more than one news piece being censored and seven news items being redacted per day, on average.

One very commonly used way for Israeli media to circumvent censorship rules is to leak items to foreign news sources, which by virtue of being located outside of Israel are not subject to Israeli censorship. Once published, the Israeli media can simply quote the story.^[20][21]

Israeli laws outlaws hate speech and "expressing support for illegal or terrorist organizations".^[9] Section 173 of the legal code makes it a crime to publish any "publication that is liable to crudely offend the religious faith or sentiment of others."^[22]

In addition to media censorship, Israeli cinemas are subject to regulation regarding the exhibition of pornography and television stations face restrictions on early broadcasting of programs that are unsuitable for children.

Notable incidents[]

• In 1960 two science fiction stories were published that circumvented censorship. The first was about and told the story of Eichmann's kidnapping. Uri Avnery's HaOlam HaZeh magazine published a story about the Lavon Affair.
• Mordechai Vanunu who served 18 years in prison for treason and espionage was released in 2004, but is still under restrictions on speech and movement.^[9] A BBC reporter was barred from the country after publishing an interview with him without handing it over to the censors first.^[5]
• Israel has banned the use of the word Nakba in Israeli Arab schools and textbooks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the ban by saying that the term was "propaganda against Israel".^[23]
• The death of Ben Zygier in 2010, an Australian-Israeli citizen who was allegedly recruited by Mossad, was censored until Australian news media broke the story in early 2013.
• Early in 2016, the Military Censor wrote to at least 30 Israeli bloggers and Facebook page owners, demanding that any postings with military or security-related content be submitted for review before publication.^[24] The request has the force of law.^[24]

Banned films[]

Israel banned all films produced in Germany from 1956 until 1967.^[25]

• 1957: The Girl in the Kremlin was banned because it may have harmed Israel's diplomatic relations with Moscow.^[26]
• 1957: China Gate was banned in Israel for indulging in excessive cruelty. The Israeli film censorship board indicated the film depicted Chinese and Russian soldiers as "monsters".^[27]
• 1965: Goldfinger played for six weeks before the Nazi past of Gert Fröbe, who played the title villain, was disclosed, despite him leaving the party in 1937.^[28] However the ban was lifted once a Jewish family publicly thanked him for hiding two German Jews from the Gestapo during World War II.
• 1973: Hitler: The Last Ten Days was banned in a unanimous decision by the censorship board that Alec Guinness's Hitler was represented in too human a light.^[29]
• 1988: Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ was banned on the grounds that it could hurt the feelings of Christian believers in the Holy Land.^[30] The Supreme Court of Israel later overturned the decision.^[31]
• 2002: Jenin, Jenin was banned by the Israeli Film Ratings Board on the premise that it was libelous and might offend the public. The Supreme Court of Israel later overturned the decision.^[32]

See also[]

• Freedom of speech in Israel
• Media of Israel
• Night letter

References[]