Netanyahu dismantling press freedom like his role model

In any functioning democracy, a free press serves as the bedrock of accountability, transparency and informed public discourse. It is the lens through which citizens and the world scrutinise government actions and societal dynamics.

Although Israel claims to be the only democracy in the Middle East, this fundamental pillar is under assault, with the ongoing war in Gaza exacerbating an already fraught environment for journalists.

Through legislative overreach, targeted censorship and threats against dissenting voices, the Israeli government, like the Modi government in India, is undermining press freedom, posing severe risks to democracy both domestically and globally.

In the last week of November, the Israeli government's punitive actions against Haaretz — Israel’s oldest and most internationally respected newspaper — exemplify its broader assault on media independence.

Communications minister Shlomo Karhi has announced a boycott of the paper, barring government-funded bodies from advertising in or engaging with Haaretz. The reason? The paper's critical reporting on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government and its calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Karhi’s justification that the state “will not fund incitement against Israel” cloaks the boycott in usual nationalist rhetoric, but the underlying motive is clear: silencing a dissenting voice.

This move not only jeopardises the financial sustainability of Haaretz, but also sends an ominous signal to other media outlets. It suggests that criticism of government policies, particularly during wartime, is not just unwelcome but punishable. Such actions erode the democratic principle that a free press must operate independently of government interference.

Beyond targeting domestic outlets, Israel has turned its attention to international media, as exemplified by the draconian ‘Al Jazeera Law’ passed by the Israeli Knesset on 1 April 2024.

This legislation allows authorities to shut down foreign media operations deemed a “threat to national security”, a vague and malleable term that invites abuse. Already, Al Jazeera's offices in Israel have been shuttered, its equipment confiscated and its broadcasts banned.

The law’s implications extend far beyond Al Jazeera. It creates a chilling precedent for suppressing any international outlet that challenges Israel’s narrative of the Gaza conflict.

The Associated Press and other organisations have faced similar restrictions, with their equipment confiscated and live feeds cut on the pretext of national security. These measures not only limit global understanding of the conflict but also damage Israel’s reputation as a democracy committed to freedom of speech.

Domestically, the situation is equally dire. Military censorship, a long-standing feature of Israeli media, has intensified dramatically. In 2023 alone, the military censor barred the publication of 613 articles and redacted parts of 2,703 others, setting a record for interference.

Journalists are required to submit any material related to ‘security issues’ for review, and violations can result in severe penalties.

This censorship, paired with growing self-censorship among journalists, has skewed media coverage of the Gaza conflict. Israeli television channels, for example, largely echo official military statements, providing a sanitised version of events.

The voices and suffering of Palestinian civilians — a critical part of the story — are conspicuously absent from much of the Israeli media landscape. This lopsided coverage denies the Israeli public a full understanding of the conflict and undermines the democratic value of informed debate.

The climate of fear for journalists in Israel has reached alarming levels. Reporters critical of government policies or sympathetic to Palestinian victims face not just professional repercussions but also physical threats.

The case of journalist Israel Frey, forced to flee his home after far-right activists gathered outside, is emblematic of this disturbing trend.

Foreign journalists have also been targeted. BBC Arabic reporters have been assaulted and detained, while Palestinian journalists in Gaza face even greater peril.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more than 130 journalists have been killed since the war began in October 2023, with many deaths occurring under circumstances that suggest deliberate targeting. These incidents, compounded by Israel’s refusal to grant foreign media independent access to Gaza, create an information vacuum that obscures the full scale of the conflict.

Israel’s assault on press freedom is not an isolated phenomenon but part of a broader trend toward authoritarianism under Netanyahu’s government. The parallels with governments like those in India and Turkey are increasingly evident. Like Narendra Modi and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Netanyahu has sought to discredit independent journalism, labelling it as unpatriotic or a threat to national security.

The government’s actions also reflect a deep-seated desire to control the narrative around the Gaza war. By limiting journalistic scrutiny, the Israeli leadership seeks to shield itself from domestic and international criticism. This approach not only undermines the free press but also further isolates Israel on the global stage.

The suppression of independent reporting from Gaza denies the global public critical information about the conflict. It also hampers efforts to hold all parties accountable for potential war crimes and to deliver humanitarian aid effectively.

Moreover, Israel’s actions set a dangerous precedent for other democracies grappling with security challenges. If a country that prides itself on its democratic credentials in the region can so blatantly undermine press freedom, it normalises the notion that censorship and repression are acceptable tools for managing dissent during crises.

The suppression of press freedom in Israel, what India has been witnessing for a decade now, is a dire warning of its democracy in retreat. By targeting journalists and media outlets, the Israeli government undermines both its own democratic institutions and the global principles it claims to uphold.

A free press is not a luxury but a necessity, especially during times of conflict. It is the means by which societies hold power to account, confront uncomfortable truths and strive for justice.

The writer is professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University, Sweden. More of his thoughts can be read here.