Israeli Government Sanctions Haaretz #

Newspaper’s Critical War Coverage Sparks Controversy #

Israel’s cabinet unanimously voted to sanction Haaretz, the nation’s oldest newspaper, in response to its critical coverage of the war following the October 7 Hamas attacks. The sanctions include halting government advertising and canceling subscriptions for state employees and employees of state-owned companies.

Haaretz has investigated reports of alleged abuses by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as operations expanded across Gaza and Lebanon. This move has been described as an attempt to silence a critical, independent newspaper. The action follows remarks by the newspaper’s publisher, during a London event, where he called for international sanctions on Israeli leaders, describing the government as imposing an ‘apartheid regime on the Palestinian population’ and dismissing the costs of ‘defending the settlements while fighting the Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls terrorists.’

After backlash in Israel, the publisher clarified he did not view Hamas militants as freedom fighters and referred instead to Palestinians living under occupation and oppression in the West Bank. Nonetheless, he admitted error in labeling those who harm and terrorize civilians as ‘freedom fighters,’ acknowledging ’terrorists’ as the correct term. He also advocated for the establishment of a Palestinian state through international sanctions.

The criticism extended to Haaretz’s war coverage, deemed damaging to Israel’s global legitimacy and its right to self-defense. Haaretz condemned the decision as part of a broader effort to undermine Israeli democracy. The incident follows other media-related government actions, including shutting down Al Jazeera’s operations and raids earlier in the year.

Recent reports show this conflict as the deadliest period for journalists, with at least 137 journalists and media workers killed during coverage.