Reservists Call to Investigate Haaretz
(IsraelNN.com) Forty-six IDF reservists who fought in Operation Cast Lead in Gaza have sent a letter to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz asking him to investigate the Hebrew-language daily Haaretz for slander. The reservists have accused the paper of publishing serious accusations against IDF soldiers without taking the time to examine the claims.
Haaretz published testimony from two reservists who fought in Gaza who claimed to have witnessed war crimes, including the shooting of an innocent woman and her children. However, after the claims had gained worldwide media coverage, the two clarified that they had not witnessed the incidents in question, but rather had heard about them from others
The soldiers clarified that they are not against the publication of articles criticizing IDF actions or policies. “We believe that public discourse is critical to our society... We believe that whenever soldiers are found to have violated orders or behaved immorally, in Cast Lead or any other operation, the problem should be given public exposure and dealt with,” they wrote.
"However, this does not justify or permit the serious and sweeping accusations against IDF combat soldiers as a group as they appeared in Haaretz,” the letter continued.
The purpose of investigating Haaretz for slander would be to show the media as a whole “that not everything is permitted... that one cannot spread falsehoods, slander and lies in the name of free speech; that in Israel in 2009 blood libels are not allowed,” the group concluded.
3 years ago
1 comment:
I have wondered how long Ha'aretz would avoid this, in an increasingly intolerant society. As it is, the comments from their readership are already sooooo nasty I cannot read them, but they still write some darn good stuff.
Those soldiers have been threatened, you can bet your bottom dollar on that. They are not free to speak of such things until their time is up and they can seek the protection of a group like Breaking the Silence.
But this "new" Israel is going to get worse. Just like in America the ADL and AIPAC are going to become much worse unless we speak out and fight back.
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