Israeli Democracy Gags
- 05.07.2008 - 9:31 AMFor nearly a week, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office has been shrouded in scandal–a scandal so major, we’ve been told, that it will probably be the scandal that forces the scandal-ridden Israeli Prime Minister from office. What exactly happened? Nobody really knows and, thus far, only the New York Post has uncovered any substantive details. Yesterday, the Post reported that Olmert had received money from Long Island millionaire Morris Talansky during his term as mayor of Jerusalem. How much money? What was the purpose of this payoff? Again, nobody knows.
This dearth of information is the consequence of a stringent Israeli gag order. Indeed, even while references to the Post’s fine investigative journalism have abounded, the Israeli media has been completely prevented from mentioning Talansky’s name. (One station, Keshet TV, went as far as blurring the text in a photo it provided of the Post’s web-based scandal coverage.) Of course, when it comes to protecting national security-relevant information–as in the case of Israel’s bombing of an alleged Syrian nuclear facility last September–these blackouts are par for the course in Israel. But corruption in high government offices is not a national security issue–it is a political one, and withholding vital information from the public disturbingly undermines Israel’s democratic processes.
Yet the gag order exposes far more than the limits of civil liberties in Israel. Rather, it demonstrates the alarming extent to which Israel’s political culture, quite literally, stands on ceremony. Indeed, the police have argued that lifting the gag order on Israel’s day of mourning for its fallen soldiers–today–would “harm the public interest.” Moreover, as the gag order currently extends through May 11th, it appears as though its ultimate goal is to keep Olmert in power at least until Israel’s 60th birthday celebration passes a few days later. After all, the government has long planned this event–which will be attended by President Bush, among other foreign leaders and luminaries–as a showcase of Israel’s political, economic, artistic, and scientific achievements, and it seems determined to not let Olmert’s corruption, no matter how extensive, interfere.
One thus has to wonder: does Israel’s national security establishment believe that the Jewish state’s international standing is so tenuous that protecting an A-list birthday party warrants such profound limitations on free speech?
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May 7th, 2008 at 9:48 AM
Great post.
Alas, I’m skeptical about the latest “scandal” bringing down Olmert. Artuz Sheva reports this morning that the allegations may be political. Shocking. Sounds like the attacks on Berlosconi. As you say, the country is not well served by this policy. I agree that on military matters it makes perfect sense. On politics, I think it has the opposite effect. The country is paralyzed, backroom moves are occurring, and negotiations are going on with someone who may not even be in office.
Again, great post.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:53 AM
If Olmert goes down, who would be next? Personally, I would like to see Netanyahu back in there. He at least strikes me as someone who will go after Hezbollah/Hamas/Iran with gusto if need be. He might even take out Iran’s nuclear weapons program if the intelligence services think it’s about to go live.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:53 AM
As long as Condi Rice dictates policy regarding life-and-death matters for Israel, the name and legal situation of the current Prime Minister are not all that important.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:54 AM
I think you’re being a little unfair to the criminal process in Israel. I’m no expert in Israeli law, but have considerable background in American criminal law and these sorts of restrictions aren’t all that uncommon.
Of course in the States we can’t prevent the press from publishing things without meeting a very high standard, but gag orders on parties and their attorneys come up every now and then. (In some cases, for example, a sexual assault case or where the victims or defendants are minors, restraints on publication are routine.)
Especially in this sort of situation where the threat of influencing witnesses who may not have given statements is high, the court would be more likely to issue the order. I suspect there is investigation yet to be completed here which is pushing the press restrictions. Think, too, of the story last year when the Accountant General in Israel was receiving death threats due to his pushing a corruption investigation — his wife and kids went into hiding.
Not to deny that there’s politics involved, of course there is. But it’s perhaps not as clear-cut as simply trying to keep an A List Birthday Party on track.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:59 AM
As the gag order also effectively prevents Olmert from defending himself while everyone else assumes the worst, I’m cynical enough to suspect that he himself considers the tradeoff worthwhile. He’ll just stay on and on and wear his opponents out.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:43 AM
I expect, this, like everyother threat to Olmert’s reign as PM, will go no where. Elections loom too far on the horizon. Olmert will win his race to the finish line, leving Israel’s security in his wake.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Why worry over police “gag orders” when national political leaders are allowed to maintain gags on their sub-rosa negotiations to give away parts of the country? What other country follows such a policy? If President Bush Carried on secret negotiations with Mexico to give them parts of the Southwest he would certainly be impeached. Are Israeli Prime Ministers owners of the country that they have the right to dispose of it at will?
May 7th, 2008 at 11:02 AM
From Ynet:
Attorney Mibi Mozer, who represented Haaretz newspaper in the court hearing, asked the judges to lift the gag order in order for the public to known whether the prime minister was accused of fraud or of aiding the enemy. He said he believed the State would only benefit from a removal of the gag order.
(via Israel Matzav)
If the second case is true (obviously I have no idea if it is) it could be a national security issue.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Personally, I would like to see Netanyahu back in there. He at least strikes me as someone who will go after Hezbollah/Hamas/Iran with gusto if need be
But Natenayahu was there already once and all he did was mess things up, talk a lot and do nothing. Plus he proved as corrupt as Olmert. That’s why he was brought down.
As long as Condi Rice dictates policy regarding life-and-death matters for Israel, the name and legal situation of the current Prime Minister are not all that important.
More or less correct, given that Israel suffers from an acute leadership crisis and there is nobody who can either stand up to or manipulate the idiot Condi.
Why worry over police “gag orders” when national political leaders are allowed to maintain gags on their sub-rosa negotiations to give away parts of the country?
The democratic nature of the Israeli political system is often exaggerated. Relative to the arab systems or even the european or other systems, it is indeed superior. But it is also a middle eastern country and so it cannot possibly be perfect. The coalitional governments have a serious flaw which permit incumbent governments to stay in power by bribery even when they lose the trust of the public; the separation between the executive and judiciary are far weaker than what americans are used to; and the culture — as distinct from institutions — particularly that of the elite, is not as democratic as the system, Olmert being only the last example.
After the 1973 war Golda Meyer scapegoated David El’azar, the chief of stuff, for the initial failure, in order to save her political butt. Unfortunately for her, the public then did not stand for it and burst into demonstrations demanding her resignation. She Freud’ly revealed her socialist colors when she reacted by pounding her fist on the table and shouting: “This is a democracy, dammit; people on the street will not tell the govt what to do!”.
oao
http://fallofknowledgeandreason.blogspot.com/
May 7th, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Aiding the enemy? Olmert? Nah. Couldn’t be.