Q&A: General
General
Question
Hello,
I wanted to ask the Rabbi whether, in light of the recent war, it has been proven that freedom of the press often causes security-related harm — starting with media influence on decision-makers; the preoccupation with elections during wartime; irresponsible statements about the inability to defeat Hamas; the effect on Hamas’s position in the negotiations for the release of the hostages; and so on. (As is well known, the disengagement too was created mainly under the influence of the media.)
The question is whether, in light of this, there is room to consider restricting the media in accordance with security needs. Of course, such restrictions already exist, but it seems they are not sufficient.
Answer
It seems to me that your very message is proof that this proposal is dangerous. The talk in the media about the inability to defeat Hamas is not irresponsible talk, but the expression of a reasonable opinion (and in my view, a correct one). And it is very important that those views be heard and discussed. True, this affects the decision-makers, but that is the point. That is why there are discussions. All sorts of things affect them. Besides, I have no trust in their decisions even apart from media influence. They are no more trustworthy than the media is. And in general, restrictions on the media on false pretexts such as this give excessive power to the government and control over criticism of it. Under no circumstances is it right to do that.