Uri Blau: Press freedom index downgraded Israel because he faces continuing threat of prosecution
Reporters Without Borders has published its annual ranking (full report here) of world nations by their level of press freedom. Israel, that bastion of western democracy and values in the midst of the “hellhole” that is the Middle East (or in Ehud Barak’s vivid image, the “villa in the jungle”) doesn’t fare too well. It ranks 92ndh out of the 179 countries evaluated (coded in the category “Noticeable Problems”), behind such exemplars of freedom as Congo, Madagascar and Moldova:
Israel fell six places (from 86th to 92nd ) for two reasons. Firstly, Haaretz reporter Uri Blau is facing a possible seven-year jail sentence for possessing classified documents and his source, Anat Kam, was sentenced to three years in prison on 31 October. Secondly, on 21 November, parliament approved a media bill on first reading that would drastically increase the amount of damages that can be awarded in defamation cases.
In general, although Israel enjoys real media pluralism, it is not in the top 50 countries in the Reporters Without Borders index because the media are subject to prior military censorship. The Palestinian Territories fell three places because of attacks on journalists during demonstrations by Palestinians calling for an end to the war between Fatah and Hamas, and because of an illegal takeover by Hamas supporters of the journalists’ union in Gaza City…
The U.S. ranked 47th, having fallen 27 places since last year because of police harassment of Occupy Wall Street journalists.
No doubt if those who compiled the report had known Bibi would finally allow Channel 10 to survive, Israel would’ve climbed at least a half rung or so. Conversely, the symbiotic relationship between Sheldon Adelson’s Yisrael HaYom and Bibi certainly can’t have helped Israel in the ratings.
But hey, look at the bright side. Israel came out almost on top among the MENA nations. The only one with more press freedom is Kuwait. Imagine, a country whose press is controlled by the royal family has more freedom than Israel. Something to be proud of, eh?
7th Eye covers the story well in Hebrew.
Israel has two rankings:
Israeli territory: 92nd
Extra-territorial (i.d. the OT): 133rd.
Tunisia climbed from being ranked 164th to 134th in this year of their revolution and first democratic elections. Next year they will certainly be much higher up the list. Lebanon is 93rd, dropping from 78th, Mauritania is also better listed than Israel, 67th.
I noticed the separate ranking for the Territories which is probably due to the fact that Fatah & Hamas exert pressure on media outlets in their domains. Considering how much information can’t be reported in Israeli media for security or legal reasons (gag orders, military censorship etc.) I’m surprised the ranking is even as high as it is. 97th is a gift to Israel it may not even deserve.
The Palestinian Territories have their own ranking: 153rd in 2011.
As far as I understand, the two rankings, territorial and extra-territorial (the US also have two), it’s more likely due to the difference in treatment within Israel proper and the OT by the Israeli authorities.
In the entry on Israel, there are various articles on harassment and arrest of Palestinian and foreign journalists in the OT, the Golan and during the Flotilla-takeover.
http://en.rsf.org/israel.html
And in 2009, when Israel dropped 47 places to 93rd and 150th extra-territorially, there’s some kind of explanation next to the ranking: “Israel: operation media crackdown”. 20 journalists were wounded during Cast Lead and three were killed.
Apologies, Richard, but I have to say welcome back to Deir Yassin. I’ve missed you and I’m glad you’re back.
I would heartily second your welcome. I think many of us have missed her and feel happy she has returned to the threads. SHe published a comment a while back in the Muslim Righteous Gentile thread as well.
Ha! I noticed that Kuwait came out higher too.
That’s funny not just because the Royal Family controls the media, Richard. It’s funny because the House of Sabah OWNS the country in its entirety.
But hey – the Israeli people don’t seem too bothered by this. The fact is that as long as state controlled media agrees largely with the sentiments of the Israeli population, they won’t complain – until someone, somewhere in the Jewish State fancies parting from the mainstream in a serious way. And by then, of course, it will be too late.
Perhaps we should see this as Israel really integrating and making itself part of the region?
The Butcher Boy King of Jordan has a brother in Netanyahu.
Certainly it’s appropriate to focus at least one spotlight on Israel’s abysmal free-speech performance, but let’s not completely ignore its nemesis Iran, who checks in at a mere 5 notches above the absolute bottom of the anti-free-speech cesspool.
This is particularly noteworthy today with reports of the imminent executions of bloggers Saeed Malekpour and Vahid Asghari for “spreading corruption,” and the recent arrests of journalists Shahram Manouchehri, Sahamedin Bourghani, Parastoo Dokouhaki, and Marzieh Rasouli.
I can’t think of the last time Israel executed any bloggers. So let’s just be sure we maintain some perspective.
No executions of Israeli bloggers (yet). But Yossi Gurvitz has been summoned for interrogation by his ‘friendly’ local neighborhood police.
I of course would make no claim that Iran’s level of press freedom was better than Israel. They routinely shut down any papers that show even remote signs of independence. Israel clearly has more press freedom than Iran. But Israel should be compared to the west which it seeks to emulate (often failing), not Iran.