4 Friday, January 31, 1986
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OP-ED
a ■ =
Israeli Censor: Fine Line
For Security, Democracy
-
BY SIMON GRIVER
Special to The Jewish News
LOCAL COLUMNIST: Danny Raskin
PRODUCTION:
Donald Cheshure
Cathy Ciccone
Curtis Deloye
Ralph Orme
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Lauri Biafore
Allan Craig
Rick Nessel
Danny Raskin
©1986 by The Detroit Jewish News (US PS 275.520)
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CANDLELIGHTING AT 5:27 P.M.
•
VOL. DOO(VIII, NO. 23
Saudi Reward
Saudi Arabia leads a. charmed existence. In recent days, the Saudis
have continued to support Libya's Colonel Qaddafi, and King Fand
reportedly told Qaddafi that he would support Libya in any showdown
with the U.S. Moreover, according to New York Times columnist William
Safire, "the monarchy of Saudi Arabia has declared economic war on most
of the rest of the world." Safire reasons that the Saudis are now flooding
the market with oil, causing prices to plunge until those who dare to
compete are driven out of business. Then the monopoly will raise prices
back up to pre-competition exorbitant levels.
And how does Washington respond? By planning to sell another $1
billion in sophisticated weapons to our Saudi "friends." According to press
reports, President Reagan will soon propose an arms package which will
include 1,600 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, 800 Stinger-anti - -aiitraft
missiles, 95 Electronic Countermeasure Systems for F-5s and F-15s, and
upgrade kits- for 60 F-15s.
Of course the Reagan Administration had pledged, at the time of the
AWACS battle in 1981, not to transfer arms in the future to Riyadh until
"significant progress" toward Mideast peace took place "with the
substantial assistance of Saudi Arabia." And of course the Saudi
"contribution" has been to obstruct the peace process, fund the PLO,
support Qaddafi, ostracize Egypt (for making peace with Israel) and, most
recently, try to keep King Hussein froM sitting down to negotiate with
Israel.
But as Near East Report editor M.J. Rosenberg notes, "appeasing the
wealthy Saudis is one of the few Washington practices that is bipartisan."
He recalled that President Carter sold them F-15s and said that they
would help bring Riyadh to the peace table. President Reagan sold them
AWACS using essentially the same rationale. "None of this changed
Saudi behavior at all," observes Rosenberg. "Nor will a new Saudi sale.
All more arms will accomplish is to help advance the day when the
Saudis can transform the rhetoric of jihad into its reality."
When, one wonders, will Washington learn?
,
Super
Sunday TAO_
u, ---
Last weekend's Super Sunday provided enjoyment for thousands
throughout the world who tuned in to the Chicago Bears' mauling of the
New England Patriots.
This weekend's Super Sunday will affect thousands also: the
thousands of volunteers participating in a nationwide effort on behalf of
the United Jewish Appeal, and the thousands of Jewish beneficiaries both
at home and abroad who depend on the monies raised.
Last year's Super Sunday total for Detroit's Allied Jewish Campaign
was $500,000. It is not a large amount in comparison to a' $22.5 million
Campaign total. But every dollafraised becomes critical at a time of
projected Federal budget puts. The Campaign affects us all: from children
attending Fresh Air Society camps to children seeking help at the Jewish
Family Service; from the elderly at the Jewish Home for Aged to the
well-elderly attending programs at the Jewish Community Center; not to
mention the many national and oversew programs.
- Enjoy Super Sunday, and enjoy the ability to give a generous
response when your telephone rings.
but could harm Israel if explicit in-
Jerusalem — Press censorship
formation reached the wrong hands,
in a democracy must tread a delicate
like details of the nation's energy re-
path, protecting the nation's security
serves.
while not stifling the freedom of the
Included in the category of in-
news media. Israel, which is on a
formation that can be suppressed are
constant war footing, is in a more
details of Jewish emigration from
difficult and vulnerable situation
countries of distress (Ethiopia, for
than perhaps any other democracy.
example), discussions about security
Yet, the country's press remains
matters at Cabinet meetings and the
seemingly vibrant with an investiga-
amount of Israel's foreign currency
tive cutting edge that has uncovered
information injuring the careers of
numerous politicians and military
The foreign press
men. Nevertheless, it is difficult to
know just how much the censors are
voluntarily agrees to
suppressing.
censorship controls
Palestinians and their suppor-
because . . . it will be
ters claim that Israeli censorship is
repressive. On the other hand, a
barred access to potential
British government commission of
stories.
enquiry offered the Israel Defense
Forces as a commendable example of
moderate censorship during the .war
reserves. Censorship is itself a sub-
in Lebanon while castigating the
ject that is censored (this article will
British army for its over-zealous
he carefully scrutinized by the cen-
censorship during the Falklands
sor's . office) as is the full list of 69
War against Argentina in 1982.
subjects liable to censorship, which
Major General Yitzhak Shani,
would itself identify potential weak-
the Chief Censor of the IDF, does
nesses to Israel's enemies.
not like using political labels to de-
As the country has grown
scribe his task. "I don't agree with
stronger, the number of subjects on
the label of more liberal, or less lib-
the censor's list has been whittled
eral," he says. "It doesn't seem to me
down from more than 200 items. At
that it suits the issues at hand. We
one time, for examples, details of oil
are striving to make censorship logi-
tankers travelling north from Eilat
cal."
were censored. This is information
"Logical" by Shani's definition is
no longer considered sensitive. Gen-
that nothing liable to harm Israel's
eral Shani feels that if the list got
security can be published. There is
any shorter there would be virtually
currently a list of 69 subjects that
no censorship left.
cannot be discussed in the press.
Surprisingly to many outsiders,
These include the obvious, like the
the Hebrew press in Israel cooper-
number of troops in a particular
ates with the censor under a volun-
region, as well as matters that do
tary agreement signed in 1949. That
not deal directly with the military
agreement has no legal status,
though
security regulations from the
This article, published by the World
time
of
the British Mandate do en-
Zionist Press Service, was subject to
able the government to punish those
review and approval of the Israeli
,
,
1
Military Censor.
Continued on Page 17
WOULD )01 PLEASE iNFCRM
NAM LE4DER8 i11 3 8H
ENV 146 rikALLY ARRIVED