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I don't feel good about this at all, but please keep in mind that there is still serious independent journalism in Israel. And it's doing very well. For example

I don't feel good about this at all, but please keep in mind that there is still serious independent journalism in Israel. And it's doing very well. For example I can recommend pretty much anything published by Haaretz, or Barak Ravid. We should monitor the health of their domestic media should things start going un-democratic there. After all nothing can replace domestic media, this is painfully clear in the case of Russia.

YZF 2y ago
There are also many other foreign journalists in Israel. Other than Al Jazeera there are no restrictions on foreign media from operating in Israel. Certainly not western foreign media.
- Ecstatify 2y ago
  https://theconversation.com/how-israel-continues-to-censor-journalists-covering-the-war-in-gaza-228241 https://theconversation.com/how-israel-continues-to-censor-j...
- sa501428 2y ago
  There are indeed restrictions on western foreign media. "Like all foreign news organizations operating in Israel, CNN’s Jerusalem bureau is subject to the rules of the Israel Defense Forces’s censor, which dictates subjects that are off-limits for news organizations to cover, and censors articles it deems unfit or unsafe to print. ... the military censor recently restricted eight subjects, including security cabinet meetings, information about hostages, and reporting on weapons captured by fighters in Gaza. In order to obtain a press pass in Israel, foreign reporters must sign a document agreeing to abide by the dictates of the censor." https://theintercept.com/2024/01/04/cnn-israel-gaza-idf-reporting/ https://theintercept.com/2024/01/04/cnn-israel-gaza-idf-repo... https://theintercept.com/2023/12/23/israel-military-idf-media-censor/ https://theintercept.com/2023/12/23/israel-military-idf-medi...
  - flumpcakes 2y ago
    This seems reasonable to me? If a western press were outside missile factories saying "this is the only place our super missiles are built!" I would expect the department of defence to block that information from being published...
    - SauciestGNU 2y ago
      That's unlawful in the United States, whose values Israel purportedly represents. It's called "prior restraint".
      - flumpcakes 2y ago
        Are you saying the United States would not block something being reported by the media? Because that is certainly false.
        SauciestGNU 2y ago
        There is not legal mechanism for that to occur unless the writer is a government employee
        mhuffman 2y ago
        My understanding is that they put a lot of pressure to block things and sometimes offer quid pro quo and sometimes even implant operatives in certain media positions, but legally they can't just come in and shut it down.
        deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - vundercind 2y ago
        It’s very much legal in wartime, for exactly those sorts of purposes. Though I’m not sure we’ve tested the legality of it in this modern world where nobody actually formally declares war anymore—I don’t think it’s been attempted. (Please don’t flame thinking I’m hardcore in support of a particular side in this war due to this post—you’ve very likely gotten the wrong impression. I’m commenting only on the narrow point that the US in fact can censor, including with prior restraint in certain circumstances, during war.)
- trandango 2y ago
  There absolutely are restrictions. No journalists are allowed in Gaza, which is at odds with almost every other conflict in the past hundred years. The stated reason is "to keep journalists safe". But journalists have risked their lives in many conflicts to bring the news to people, its their choice to risk their life or not. Unless one were to believe that all journalists biased against israel, there is no reason to restrict all journalists. Why not let in Christiane Amanpour, or many other western trained and western paid journalists?
  - flumpcakes 2y ago
    Is this true? I do not think journalists are just allowed to the front lines of any war. The entire Gaza strip seems like one giant front line. There needs to be more journalists reporting but I think just allowing anyone to walk anywhere because they've got 'press' on their jacket is probably just going to end up with dead journalists considering journalists will want to be were the fighting is and will gravitate towards danger.
    - SauciestGNU 2y ago
      IDF also kills journalists for sport (Shireen Abu-Akleh comes to mind).
      - flumpcakes 2y ago
        That seems very reductive to just say that as if it is a fact. 90% of the claims I've seen about the IDF end up being just nonsense. I did pay very close attention to what happened with Shireen Abu-Akleh and I think that was definitely not dealt with in a satisfactory way.
        so_delphi 2y ago
        "not dealt with in a satisfactory way" is exactly the justification that IDF has used after many similar circumstances. Let's say they just don't care, since there are no repercussions.
- Maxious 2y ago
  > Israel’s military can continue barring foreign journalists from accessing the Gaza Strip, the High Court said Monday, citing ongoing security concerns after months in which only Gazans or correspondents accompanied by the army have been able to report from inside the enclave. https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-court-says-israel-can-keep-barring-foreign-reporters-from-gaza/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-court-says-israel-can-kee...
- adhamsalama 2y ago
  They literally kill journalists, including western journalists.
wslh 2y ago
[flagged]
magic_hamster 2y ago
It's worth noting Qatar is the main benefactor of Al Jazeera, while also having funded Hamas for years, and hosting the Hamas leaders in their country. Al Jazeera in English is extremely different from al Jazeera in Arabic where journalism takes a back seat on any item somehow connected to Israel and especially Hamas. Like many of these seemingly weird decisions, there's more to it than "Israel bad".
- dilawar 2y ago
  Well, Israel has also funded Hamas for years!
- DiogenesKynikos 2y ago
  > having funded Hamas for years, hosting the Hamas leaders in their country Qatar did both of those things at the request of the US and Israel. Qatar serves as an intermediary between the US/Israel and Hamas, just as it served as an intermediary for talks between the US and the Taliban. > Like many of these seemingly weird decisions, there's more to it than "Israel bad". The motivation here is clearly to stop information about what is happening in Gaza from reaching the outside world. Al Jazeera is the only major international news agency with a significant presence on the ground there.

YZF 2y ago

There are also many other foreign journalists in Israel. Other than Al Jazeera there are no restrictions on foreign media from operating in Israel. Certainly not western foreign media.

Ecstatify 2y ago
https://theconversation.com/how-israel-continues-to-censor-journalists-covering-the-war-in-gaza-228241 https://theconversation.com/how-israel-continues-to-censor-j...
sa501428 2y ago
There are indeed restrictions on western foreign media. "Like all foreign news organizations operating in Israel, CNN’s Jerusalem bureau is subject to the rules of the Israel Defense Forces’s censor, which dictates subjects that are off-limits for news organizations to cover, and censors articles it deems unfit or unsafe to print. ... the military censor recently restricted eight subjects, including security cabinet meetings, information about hostages, and reporting on weapons captured by fighters in Gaza. In order to obtain a press pass in Israel, foreign reporters must sign a document agreeing to abide by the dictates of the censor." https://theintercept.com/2024/01/04/cnn-israel-gaza-idf-reporting/ https://theintercept.com/2024/01/04/cnn-israel-gaza-idf-repo... https://theintercept.com/2023/12/23/israel-military-idf-media-censor/ https://theintercept.com/2023/12/23/israel-military-idf-medi...
- flumpcakes 2y ago
  This seems reasonable to me? If a western press were outside missile factories saying "this is the only place our super missiles are built!" I would expect the department of defence to block that information from being published...
  - SauciestGNU 2y ago
    That's unlawful in the United States, whose values Israel purportedly represents. It's called "prior restraint".
    - flumpcakes 2y ago
      Are you saying the United States would not block something being reported by the media? Because that is certainly false.
      - SauciestGNU 2y ago
        There is not legal mechanism for that to occur unless the writer is a government employee
      - mhuffman 2y ago
        My understanding is that they put a lot of pressure to block things and sometimes offer quid pro quo and sometimes even implant operatives in certain media positions, but legally they can't just come in and shut it down.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
    - vundercind 2y ago
      It’s very much legal in wartime, for exactly those sorts of purposes. Though I’m not sure we’ve tested the legality of it in this modern world where nobody actually formally declares war anymore—I don’t think it’s been attempted. (Please don’t flame thinking I’m hardcore in support of a particular side in this war due to this post—you’ve very likely gotten the wrong impression. I’m commenting only on the narrow point that the US in fact can censor, including with prior restraint in certain circumstances, during war.)
trandango 2y ago
There absolutely are restrictions. No journalists are allowed in Gaza, which is at odds with almost every other conflict in the past hundred years. The stated reason is "to keep journalists safe". But journalists have risked their lives in many conflicts to bring the news to people, its their choice to risk their life or not. Unless one were to believe that all journalists biased against israel, there is no reason to restrict all journalists. Why not let in Christiane Amanpour, or many other western trained and western paid journalists?
- flumpcakes 2y ago
  Is this true? I do not think journalists are just allowed to the front lines of any war. The entire Gaza strip seems like one giant front line. There needs to be more journalists reporting but I think just allowing anyone to walk anywhere because they've got 'press' on their jacket is probably just going to end up with dead journalists considering journalists will want to be were the fighting is and will gravitate towards danger.
  - SauciestGNU 2y ago
    IDF also kills journalists for sport (Shireen Abu-Akleh comes to mind).
    - flumpcakes 2y ago
      That seems very reductive to just say that as if it is a fact. 90% of the claims I've seen about the IDF end up being just nonsense. I did pay very close attention to what happened with Shireen Abu-Akleh and I think that was definitely not dealt with in a satisfactory way.
      - so_delphi 2y ago
        "not dealt with in a satisfactory way" is exactly the justification that IDF has used after many similar circumstances. Let's say they just don't care, since there are no repercussions.
Maxious 2y ago
> Israel’s military can continue barring foreign journalists from accessing the Gaza Strip, the High Court said Monday, citing ongoing security concerns after months in which only Gazans or correspondents accompanied by the army have been able to report from inside the enclave. https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-court-says-israel-can-keep-barring-foreign-reporters-from-gaza/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-court-says-israel-can-kee...
adhamsalama 2y ago
They literally kill journalists, including western journalists.

wslh 2y ago

[flagged]

magic_hamster 2y ago

It's worth noting Qatar is the main benefactor of Al Jazeera, while also having funded Hamas for years, and hosting the Hamas leaders in their country. Al Jazeera in English is extremely different from al Jazeera in Arabic where journalism takes a back seat on any item somehow connected to Israel and especially Hamas. Like many of these seemingly weird decisions, there's more to it than "Israel bad".

dilawar 2y ago
Well, Israel has also funded Hamas for years!
DiogenesKynikos 2y ago
> having funded Hamas for years, hosting the Hamas leaders in their country Qatar did both of those things at the request of the US and Israel. Qatar serves as an intermediary between the US/Israel and Hamas, just as it served as an intermediary for talks between the US and the Taliban. > Like many of these seemingly weird decisions, there's more to it than "Israel bad". The motivation here is clearly to stop information about what is happening in Gaza from reaching the outside world. Al Jazeera is the only major international news agency with a significant presence on the ground there.