Israeli Censorship: “And the Beat Goes On”

I hope somebody out there remembers the Sonny & Cher classic, which I’ve dusted off to describe the latest shenanigans of the Israeli censor.  The Israeli Democracy Institute, which ironically hosted the conference at which MK Mickey Rosenthal identified Boris Krasny by name along with his exploits as a Soviet spy and Israeli double agent, published a new story about the incident in its 7th Eye.

The article reviews the entire story (about which I posted here) and includes reference to the Gblobes story by Gur Megido, which explicitly credited me as the blogger who broke the story in the world media (but didn’t name Krasny, my blog, or link to my post).  The 7th Eye reporter also mentions that the censor demanded the Globes story be removed.

Itamar Baz, who wrote the 7th Eye story, learned from the “mistakes” of Megido and didn’t mention me by name.  I am included inferentially within indeterminate entities like “the blogosphere,” “social media,” and “foreign bloggers.”  So far, the censor hasn’t removed this article.  But who knows, perhaps even speaking in whispers and code will soon be illegal in the land of the not-so-hidden-hand of the censor.  To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, I am the “Silverstein” whose name Israeli journalists ‘dare not speak.’

I find it hard to believe Rosenthal, himself a former journalist, didn’t know (as he claims) that Krasny’s name and his connection to the Klingberg spy case was censored.  Can there be any veteran journalist or politician in Israel who doesn’t know this?  The MK also avowed that he would never knowingly violate censorship because to do so would compromise his ethical code.  Does no one among the Israeli political elite understand that it is the censor who violates every ethical code and democratic value?  Why must otherwise intelligent people continue to bow down at the altar of the national security state?

At any rate, Rosenthal did add this important comment, which I hope turns true:

“In any event, the story is now published abroad and I assume that this order will not hold up long.”

Also interestingly, when Baz contacted Krasny himself for comment, the ex-double-agent replied:

“Write whatever you want.  The liability will be upon you.”

To an earlier journalist’s attempt to elicit comment Krasny responded with a silly Hebrew rhyme declaring the entire episode (i.e. charges of his being a spy) was shtuyot b’mitz agvaniot.  There is no proper literal translation that makes sense.  Basically, he said the whole thing was ridiculous (“foolishness in grape juice,” literally).