The scandal that is rocking the country...
What a shame that the newspaper involved in stealing secret material from the IDF is Haaretz. Haaretz is the most professional and intellectual Israeli newspaper. Now we know why they were the most up to date with top notch military information, always hiding behind anonymous sources in the IDF.
On the one hand, at least Anat Kam was not giving over these sensitive documents to other countries, like what Mordechai Vanunu did. She was giving them over in Israel for publication in Israel. I don't know her motivation - maybe she really believed that this was information the public needed to know.
On the other hand, it doesnt really matter why she did it, she betrayed her position and the trust that had been placed in her, and she made accessible documents and information that should not have been.
She should rot in jail for a long time. And the directors of Haaretz should as well for their part in it. They should have known better.
'Not giving info to other countries'?
ReplyDeleteWell, the journalist involved has gone to live in England, refuses to return for investigation, and just refused through his Israeli lawyer to return the remainder of the missing documents. By my count that would add up to about 1900 (!) sensitive and secret documents.
No big deal, eh? Scares the hell outa me...
And the only thing professional about Haaretz is that it is better written than other papers. Time and again it has been revealed for having a blatant and even malicious leftist agenda.
I think Jameel's take on this is a bit more to the point:
ReplyDeletehttp://muqata.blogspot.com/2010/04/treason-and-treachery-by-israels.html
he is living abroad? I thought he was just hiding out...
ReplyDeleteyes, it is extreme left, but very professional. no other paper comes even close to the quality of the writing and layout that Haaretz puts out. Unfortunately they are so extreme left. i dont know why a normal paper or a right wing leaning paper cant put out something reasonably professional looking.
This might be a cultural difference: In the States, the reason why a free press is so important is the recognition that a government is run by people. People are fallable, whether the issue is corruption or just an error of judgment, the press is the people's only tool to keep the government in check.
ReplyDeleteThere is a huge difference between a spy selling secrets or a whistleblower sharing information with a reputable news organization.
Do you really trust your government?
What other method but whistleblowers and a free press is there to keep the government in check?
But such things are excused by the "enlightened classes" in Israel. Anat Kamm did it out of noble motives. That was not her decision to make but that is how her amen chorus in Israel's leftist media will look at it even as it whitewashes Haaretz's sordid betrayal of the country's highest interests before the entire world.
ReplyDeleteWho is Uri Blau kidding? The Mossad just assassinated a guy in Dubai. How easy is it gonna be to swipe this guy up from London?!
ReplyDeleteCould this be the same guy who leaked the '1600 apts' just when Biden came to Israel? And the subsequent blunders too?
ReplyDeleteThey have to really dig into this.
very professional??? haaretz blatantly maligns haredim, settlers, and secular zionists and call it news.
ReplyDeletehow is disguising opinion as news professional? how is using pejorative inflammatory language to incite antisemitism in the west professional?
all of the mainstream news media quote haaretz's slated drivel as fact!
haaretz is a true enemy of israel and the jewish people.
The main issue here, it seems to me, is twofold:
ReplyDelete1) Anat Kam did indeed perform an act of theft of sensitive military material, no doubt a punishable crime.
2) The military is prosecuting the journalist, who as far I understand has not perpetrated a crime and did go to the trouble of making a deal with the military.
While Kam should receive the punishment that the judicial system will decide is appropriate, persecuting the journalist doesn't seem to make sense. It is important in a democratic society that whistleblowers have some protection or recognition, but even more so that journalists have protection under the law.
It should be noted, he never published material that was strategically damaging, only morally so (despite that his having the material is a risk in itself).
I think that the situation is a bit more complex in this case. And I definitely wouldn't blame Blau or Haaretz in publishing - its' their job, and other newspapers would have done the same.
ReplyDeleteThe lady is quite another matter. Anyway, you are welcome to comment on my piece re the case.
Haaretz WHICH CLAIMS TO BE the most professional and intellectual Israeli newspaper.
ReplyDeleteRafi, you should know better.