Israel Matzav: Freedom of speech, Israeli style

Freedom of speech, Israeli style

This is the kind of court ruling that makes you wonder whether Israel's legal system really understands what freedom of speech means. Israel's High Court of Justice has barred the use of advertisements on the quasi-private Second Television Channel and the private radio channel Radio Kol Chai, which refer to the 'disengagement' from Gaza as an expulsion of Gaza's Jews (no, the High Court has yet to seek control of my blog, where I refer to it as an expulsion all the time).

The court said the words violated the rules and regulations regarding paid ads of both broadcasting authorities.

"We are talking about a loaded expression on a controversial subject," wrote presiding Justice Elyakim Rubinstein. "The petitioners themselves do not deny this. Therefore the subject falls within the prohibition included in the rules governing both broadcasting authorities."

Israel Radio and the Second Authority rejected an ad submitted by the right-wing petitioner that began, "As we mark three years since the destruction and expulsion from Gush Katif..."

According to another ad, "On the fast of Tisha Be'av and the days around it, we light a memorial candle to mark the expulsion from Gush Katif."

If the forced transfer of 10,000 Jews out of Gaza by 60,000 soldiers and police wasn't an expulsion, what was it?

Israel Matzav: Freedom of speech, Israeli style