Crackdown on Israeli bloggers begins
Earlier this week, I reported that the Israeli government is going to go after Israeli bloggers as part of a crackdown on dissent. Apparently, they have started (Hat Tip: Sultan Knish).R. Nati, a contributor to this blog, was summoned to the (Israeli) police station today. When he arrived, he was escorted to a room. The police were not waiting, instead the Israeli Internal Security (Shabak, or Shin Bet, the Israeli counter-intelligence and internal security service) was waiting for him.Read the whole thing.
He was interrogated as a right-wing activist (he's not), for possible involvement in planning anti-public activities (he's not involved in any way), and for publishing a Violent (?) Anti-Government (?) & Anti-Homosexual (???) Blog - Mystical Paths.
Well, he doesn't publish it. He does contribute religious and emunah oriented articles somewhat regularly.
I'm afraid to comment further. One never knows who is next.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:32 PM
9 Comments:
Carl - you're right - the branja wants to send Olmert's opponents a very pointed message. Speak out at your own risk.
Coincidentally, the branja reopened a corruption investigation into Avigdor Lieberman's daughter. A corruption investigation may be reopened into her father, now that he has left the government.
The net could be spread wider to encompass anyone the branja thinks is a threat to them and they're not above breaking the law to make sure people fall into line.
Norman F,
Heard that on the news half an hour ago. Like it's a coincidence....
I thought that bill about bloggers was still just in the works, not passed? But maybe that was just the extension of it to make them responsible for commentators?
Keep it up as long as you can, Carl. Even if you have to close comments, your news is what makes the blog useful.
Carl - agreed. I was just commenting on the timing. The investigation was suspended as long as Lieberman was in office. Now that's gone - the branja are saying we can get you whenever we want.
There is no rule of law in Israel. It all depends on whom who you can call in favors to keep you out of jail, as Ehud Olmert has done. When Olmert ceases to be useful to the right people in the country, he too will be expendable.
Lydia - if Carl has to close comments to avoid having his blog closed down, that may be necessary at some point.
I think though, if the branja should choose to target him, it will not be because he or people like us have posted to his blog have done anything wrong, its just they want to make sure people can't put up views they don't like.
There's corruption in Israel. The problem is the same people who use corruption as a charge to silence right wing public figures are probably corrupt themselves. Without the rule of law in Israel, it will be a major challenge to get rid of it.
Lydia,
No it hasn't passed yet. There was some kind of preliminary reading in the Knesset yesterday and it passed that 29-2 (one of the two was Shelly Yechimovitch, a flaming leftist who was a radio host before she became a Labor party MK - I may not agree with much of what she says but at least she apparently has principles).
But why wait for it to pass when we can go do it now anyway.
Somewhat off topic:
Worth seeing, if you haven't seen this yet: Ezra Levant, canadian publisher figthing for the freedom of speech. Most interesting are videos.
Emet Yisrael Chai -- what else can I type?
This naked attempt to stifle free speech and free thought in a SUPPOSEDLY free society is utterly disgusting. That Israeli citizens tolerate this - among so many other indignities inflicted upon it by this FASCIST government - is nearly beyond belief.
Israel desperately needs a written constitution with rights of the individual citizens guaranteed against government action.
I almost wish that I was an Israeli blogger, so I could tell Olmerde & Co. where to put their dictatorial policies. Of course, G-d willing, Olmerde won't be PM for very much longer, and his faithless, evil, anti-Jewish government will be deposited where it belongs, on the garbage-dump of history.
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