On Sunday morning, Tel Aviv District Court judge Kobi Vardi will hear the case of Jared Malsin, the American Jewish journalist serving as English editor for the Palestinian Maan news agency. The Shin Bet seeks to expel him from Israel as a security risk because he secured a visa by indicating (falsely they claim) that he might take Israeli citizenship via the Law of Return and because he originally came to Israel on a Birthright trip (among other reasons). None of the reasons listed can legitimately be terms a “security threat” to Israel or anyone else.
The judge can rule on the spot to deport Malsin or free him. Or he can call for a full hearing later in the day. If the judge decides to deport the journalist, then the defense has the option of appealing to the Supreme Court. The difficulty in this is that the detainee will remain in Israeli detention for the duration until his hearing. Currently, Malsin is being held in a small cell with blacked out windows and access to nothing other than the small suitcase he had when he returned from his Prague vacation. There is no indication that Israel is prepared to move him to less punishing accommodations.
The International Federation of Journalists released this statement:
“We condemn this intolerable violation of press freedom,” said Aidan White, IFJ general secretary. “The ban of entry in this case appears to be a reprisal measure for the journalist’s independent reporting and that is unacceptable.”
“Journalists cannot be sworn to support governments in order to gain entry into countries,” White added. “This kind of interference has no place in a democracy.”
My blog colleague, Ray Hanania, of the National Arab American Journalists Association released this statement:
“Any action to censor or restrict or threaten or intimidate journalists for the sole ‘crime’ of expressing an opinion or covering stories frowned on by the occupation government is a violation not only of international law but a violation of Israel’s claim to be Democratic and fair,” said Ray Hanania, Chicago coordinator of NAAJA, which has issued formal letters to Israel’s embassy in Washington, to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and to Israel’s Ministry of Information in Jerusalem.
“NAAJA is not only calling on Israel to immediately release Jaslin, but also urging Israeli journalists who claim to be objective and concerned about free speech, Democracy and the accuracy in reporting to also publicly protest the arrest,” he added.
Speaking of which, the Israeli Jerusalem Association of Journalists, while affirming the right of journalists to report freely from Israel (and not necessarily defending Malsin himself), attached this unintentionally ironic statement:
The JAJ warned against campaigns which have a political motive and “ try to portray Israel as a state without media freedom.”
Seems to me you have a wee problem, Israeli journalists. You claim that in general you support freedom to report from Israel regardless of favoring or opposing government policy. Yet you won’t specifically defend Malsin and you want to claim that his case does not mean that “media freedom” is absent in Israel. You can’t have it both ways. If there IS media freedom, then you defend Malsin and insist that Israel free him to be a journalist and do his job. If there isn’t, then you refuse to defend Malsin and accept his deportation when or if it happens. Let us see what transpires.
Those wishing to support Malsin and who are Americans should write to Hillary Clinton and your Congressional representatives as both Malsin and his girlfriend, who WAS deported, are U.S. citizens. You should also blast your local Israeli consular office.
Malsin’s partner, Faith Rowold, a Lutheran Church volunteer was deported to Prague after being detained with him at Ben Gurion. She released this statement about the general harassment by the Shin Bet and immigration officials of foreign aid workers in the West Bank:
“Israel is really making it difficult for humanitarian organizations and churches to do their work in Israel and the Palestinian Territories,” Ms. Rowold commented. “It seems like Israel especially discriminates against organizations that are working with Palestinians or in the Palestinian Territories, making it difficult for workers and volunteers to get the visas they need to stay and do their jobs. So many people are on tourist visas now, leaving every three months and hoping to get back in. It is really an insecure situation and it makes long-term planning impossible.”
It has also been reported that approximately 100 church and NGO workers who had previously held B1 work visas from Israel had been denied renewals. Some were given 6-month tourist visas instead, which do not legally allow the holder to work in Israel.
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Preliminary update here: http://mondoweiss.net/2010/01/detained-american-journalist-jared-malsin-goes-to-court-today-to-fight-deportation-from-israel.html#comment-141499
I think they’re motivated by fear. Any country that attempts to censor its media, its journalists, its internet access or actively moves to deport or prevent those it deems “undesirable” has a lot to hide. Hypocrisy may be part of it, but looking at the situation on a more down-to-earth level convinces me that it’s more than just Israel worrying about its image. Israel’s image is already badly soiled, so trying to silence dissent over its past deeds is the equivalent of locking up the barn after the horses already have escaped. What I see here is far more ominous, that Israel is buttoning up because it is making some plans to do some very, very nasty things and wants to keep them as secret as possible.
In other words, they’re trying to silence Malsin for what he will doubtless say in the future.
AS Gideon Levy recently wrote, only a shrink can explain Israel’s behaviour.
http://www.counterpunch.org/levy01142010.html
To take it one step further, either it suffers from Schizophrenia or extreme hypocrisy.
Extreme hypocrisy is not a psychiatric diagnosis, and the symptoms are not consistent with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia.
The clear psychiatric diagnosis for Israel as an entity is Narcissistic Personality Disorder in association with Antisocial Personality Disorder. Look ’em up in your DSM – IV.
NPD:
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy…as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
1.has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
2.is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3.believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4.requires excessive admiration
5.has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6.is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7.lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
8.is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9.shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
Antisocial Personality Disorder:
A pervasive pattern of disregard for and the rights of others…as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
1.failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
2.deceitfulness, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
3.impulsivity or failure to plan ahead;
4.irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
5.reckless disregard for safety of self or others;
6.consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
7.lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
Deceit and manipulation are considered essential features of the disorder. Therefore, it is essential in making the diagnosis to collect material from sources other than the individual being diagnosed.
Regardless of the source or cause, it’s very unsettling that there has been so little publicity or coverage of this appalling situation anywhere in the media. Why is it that people are so willing to give up their free access to information? Why will they not speak up and insist on a free and honest news media? An American journalist is being silenced in “the only real democracy in the middle east, blah blah blah”, and where is the uproar?
i do not care if the entire Israeli government is foaming-at-the-mouth bonkers, what I do care about is what they’re doing to this young journalist (and hey, there is a whole list of other stuff, but that’s for another thread).