I should put “democracy” in quotes in my title as the term is stretched beyond recognition as practiced in Israel. The latest outrage is the announcement today that the State planned to prosecute Haaretz investigative journalist, Uri Blau for “aggravated espionage,” carrying a sentence of seven years. Blau’s crime? Practicing journalism. You’ll recall that fellow journalist Anat Kamm gave Blau secret IDF documents pertaining to targeted killings and Operation Cast Lead. The information portrayed the army in an extremely bad light and supported claims that it murdered unarmed Palestinians when it could have apprehended them non-violently. This violated Supreme Court rulings and international law.
Kamm has already been sentenced to four and a half years in prison (I first broke the gag and reported her arrest here). Now Blau faces more. He performed admirably as a journalist serving his society and is one of the finest investigative reporters working in Israel today. But his work cuts a little too close to the bone for Israeli bureaucrats and generals who are the target of his reports. Democracies understand the importance of journalism, which is why they offer it protections. Not so Israel where the national security state trumps any individual or societal right.
Israeli journalists have created a protest website and there is a petition for journalists to sign. I have created a Facebook group, Free Uri Blau. I hope you’ll join and be updated (and offer your own updates) on news related to this important case. 200 Israeli journalists have written to the Shin Bet complaining about this egregious violation of press freedom. I hope they’ll be heard, if not by the secret police, then at least by the public.
7th Eye reports (Hebrew) on a statement by Ronen Bergman, Israel’s well-known intelligence correspondent.
Related articles
- Haaretz journalist Uri Blau to be indicted for possession of classified IDF documents (haaretz.com)
- Committee to Protect Journalists: Israel Ranks 2nd Per Capita in Imprisoned Journalists (richardsilverstein.com)
Update on this story:
Uri Blau, Israeli Journalist, Avoids Jail In Deal Over Military Leaks
JERUSALEM, July 5 (Reuters) – An Israeli journalist who drew on leaked army documents to report the alleged assassination of Palestinian militants, prompting a prosecution and debate about press freedom, was spared jail time in a plea bargain on Thursday.
link to huffingtonpost.com
So just how many African “refugees” HAVE you HOUSED IN THE SiLVERSTEIN HOME IN sEaTTLE, arsewipe?
Moron, no one’s asking anyone to host refugees in their home. Nor are the refugees asking for home hospitality. They’re asking for refuge in Israel, the country, just as my country, the U.S., provides refuge for millions of such refugees (though not enough of course compared to need).
Haha. Tell me Richard. Is this guy, Mogli, located in New York/New Jersey ? If yes, I’m going to tell you who he is. A old acquiantance with only three or four talking-points in his luggage, and this is one of them.
IP resolves to Haifa. Unless he made Aliya, it’s not the same dude.
Nah, it isn’t the same guy then. Bill Pearlman – actually “Caden” – has asked everyone having the slightest sympathy towards the refugees the exact same question. I guess it’s a standard line….
I know Pearlman by rep. He’s been banned here for yrs. He’s a Class D felony of a guy. It’s a small far right ultranationalist world out there & only so many “ideas” to go around. That’s why they repeat ea other so frequently.
I’ve been listening to a lot of radio commentry in Israel today, and no one could be found, journalist or lawyer who could find a good word to say about the indictment.
Except for the unofficial spokesperson for Bibi and the army, Roni Daniel, who is a big joke as far as journalism is concerned.
This will backfire in the face of the Att-gen in a major way.
And before anyone brings it up, this is completely different to Anat Kamm who actually stole from the army the documents as opposed to Uri Blau who just possessed them as a journalist and didn’t even intend to publicise most of them
“Do as we say, not as we do. We are a bastion of democracy, a beacon of light. Which is why we act completely communist, with a centralized bureaucracy, a police belligerent/military State, with politicians who run strictly on national security threats they falsify themselves. BTW, we also frequently commit illegal technology transfers of a military nature from the US and sell it off-market to Russia and China at a great political/revenue benefit to us. Tee Hee. Stalwart Allies Forever <3"
—–
"Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning." -Benjamin Franklin
The vengeful (rather than useful) attitude of Israel’s security forces was exemplified by their treatment of Blau’s computer: as part of the deal with him, they destroyed the COMPUTER (not the data on it. The COMPUTER.)
Since the data on the hard drive was the only thing that mattered – destruction of the computer used for accessing it is simply malicious – or threatening.
Israel acts like what it appears to be – is a crime syndicate that took over a country, a racketeering enterprise with an army. Its own citizens are no safer than the rest of the world population.
It is a racketeering enterprise. That’s exactly right. If you want to understand Israel the metaphor of the crime syndicate explains it.