From the Israeli Declaration of Establishment:
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
And in Israel one certainly can see evidence of journalistic freedom, front and center. Just look at the pages of Haaretz and featured columnists Amira Hass or Gideon Levy. Look at +972 online magazine.... the evidence is everywhere. In fact, today in Haaretz Bradley Burston comes right out and argues for acceptance of a Palestinian State at the U.N. which is in direct conflict with Israeli policy. Still he does that, and does it freely. Where in any other country in the region can you get that kind of freedom. I often use Maan News as a source to see what is happening with regards to the Palestinians. I find however, their criticisms to be muted (not always but far less than what the Israeli journals post).
Part of what makes Israel special is the value it places on open and honest journalism (well for the most part, the papers are still businesses and are still subject to editors). One of the defining measurements of an "enlightened society" is the ability of that society to support freedom of the press. The more freedom of ideas the more open the society.
In reading Maan today I cam across this article: MADA: Increase in violations against Palestinian journalists which while it certainly pokes Israel for violations (although one is against an Islamic Jihad affiliate), but it also criticizes the Palestinian polity:
MADA reported a "remarkable decline on freedom of expression in the past month" perpetrated by Palestinian security forces, after some improvement over the previous three months.
In Gaza, Hamas internal security forces prevented Alhuriya Lil’lam Center correspondent Wisam Zogbor from filming on Aug. 17, MADA reported.
On Aug. 18, Hamas forces summoned correspondent Fathi Tbeil, who works for the official news agency of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, WAFA, the report noted.
Tbeil had reported on a solidarity sit-in with Palestinian refugees in Syria who were attacked by Syrian government forces. Hamas' headquarters are located in the Syrian capital Damascus.
Hamas police also attacked a Wafa correspondent preparing a report in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
A correspondent for PA radio station Palestine Voice, Tamim Muamer, was interrogated by Hamas internal security as he left Gaza for Egypt at the Rafah crossing.
Meanwhile Palestinian Authority preventative security services summoned journalist Majdoen Hasouneh for investigation in Nablus in the northern West Bank.
When Hasouneh refused to appear, PA forces detained two of her brothers.
PA preventative security services also arrested presenter Muntaser Nassar at his home in Hebron on Aug. 20, MADA reported. Nasser works for the Hebron University station Radio Alam.
Writer and academic Abdel Sater Qasem was also arrested. He was released after several days following a personal appeal from President Mahmoud Abbas, the report said.
It seems that BOTH sides are acting in bad faith here. With the deadline for Palestinian Statehood getting closer this is a troubling sign. A free press and a free cross flow of information is one of the only things that can help make this future more secure. If the Palestinians don't understand what the Israelis are thinking and don't see what they are saying this bid for statehood is doomed. Constant bashing of Israel will only make things worse, yet if the Israelis see that the Palestinians are committed to freedom of the press and understand the different forces at work in the Palestinian polity, there is a chance. Of course this is simplistic but I think the concept is easily understood. The more open Palestinian society is the less of the "unknown" exists. The less of the "unknown" the harder it is to demonize or vilify an opponent. The less demonization and vilification the more empathy towards the "other" party.
Same for the Palestinians. they need to see the Israeli polity for the diverse place that it is. They need to be able to understand the forces at work that shape the Israeli political landscape. It is the only way to create an environment that will foster acceptance of Israel. Palestinians need to be given portrayals of Jewish History from both the Right and Left. They need to understand what motivates Israelis and how best to understand the need for the State of Israel .
It is only through freedom of the Press that the flow of information needed to solve this crises is can be received. By demonizing and vilifying one side, all that happens is that the processes of information become corrupted and true solutions become hidden.
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