# Should Israel suspend the free press within present borders **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 28, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648 "2002-03-28T22:49:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/1 "2002-03-28T22:49:59Z")
Europeans successfully settled the American West at the expense of indigenous populations, and quickly eliminated terrorism, and restored peace. Considering the lack of effective modern communications at the time, one wonders if ther history of the mid-West might not have been so quiet if settlement was occuring in the 20th century. Even today, due to a controlled press in much of the Arab world, we hear little of atrocities except when a country is spotlighted by the western press. Iraqi campaigns of ethnic cleansing in the north and south come to mind as a result of the Gulf war as well as Afghanistans Taleban rule as a result of 9/11. If Israel declared martial law and muzzled the press, The terrorists would not as easily communicate “victories” , perceived atrocities, and recognition for suicide bombers. At the moment, the free press seems to be a major factor in perpetuating the violence. This is not to promote righteousness on the part of Israelis any more than the European right to the mid-west, But people have been dying here for decades, and nothing else seems to work. ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Willy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sweet\_Willy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Willy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/2 "2002-03-28T23:00:21Z")
Equating the lack of major media in one campaign with the censorship of media in another is a bit of a stretch… let me think a bit longer… ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/3 "2002-03-28T23:14:35Z")
Removing one of the more important parts of a free society in order to fight terrorism. That is a seductive option. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/4 "2002-03-28T23:42:00Z")
Seductive indeed. Good thing nothing like that could [ever happen](http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/alsedact.htm) in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/5 "2002-03-28T23:48:18Z")
Presumably once Israel suspended free press, they could secretly kill all the Arabs in the Middle East with nuclear weapons. Nobody would ever find out. Then Israel could also secretly take all the oil. **grienspace’s** plan has possibilities…😃 ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/6 "2002-03-28T23:51:19Z")
Yeah, it’s very unfortunate for Israel that they cannot commit mass genocide on the scale of the American Settlers and Manifest Destiny because of that pesky free press. God damn those liberals killing off their own people by publishing what’s actually happening there. Erek P.S. If they cut off free press the Palestinian side would still be heard, it would be the Israeli opinion that is squelched. Israel’s free press from what i’ve seen is in general superior to that in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/7 "2002-03-28T23:53:20Z")
Happily **andros** , that [could never happen again](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0679767320/reviews/ref=pm_dp_ln_b_6/103-2695842-9836635). ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/8 "2002-03-29T00:40:33Z")
[Of course not.](http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c107:33:./temp/~c107FX1ipn::) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/9 "2002-03-29T00:41:45Z")
Damn those missed quotes. [Of course not.](http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c107:33:./temp/~c107FX1ipn::) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/10 "2002-03-29T02:56:29Z")
Somehow I doubt making the Israeli government more like the Palestinian Authority is a good solution to anything. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/11 "2002-03-29T03:03:21Z")
Somehow I doubt making the Israeli government more like the Palestinian Authority is a good solution to anything. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/12 "2002-03-29T18:02:26Z")
No, not like the PA **Tamerlane** , but like the Liberal government of Canada under Pierre Elliot Trudeau. following an escalation of terrorist activities (that had been going on for several years) by a segment of extreme separatists of a substantial ethnic minority in the fall of 1970. > [@](#): > > - [http://www.nelson.com/nelson/school/discovery/cantext/speech2/1970trwm.htm](http://www.nelson.com/nelson/school/discovery/cantext/speech2/1970trwm.htm) , Trudeau speech \* > > I am speaking to you at a moment of grave crisis, when violent and fanatical men are attempting to destroy the unity and the freedom of Canada…Freedom and personal security are safeguarded by laws; those laws must be respected in order to be effective. …If a democratic society is to continue to exist, it must be able to root out the cancer of an armed, revolutionary movement that is bent on destroying the very basis of our freedom…The War Measures Act gives sweeping powers to the Government. It also suspends the operation of the Canadian Bill of Rights. I can assure you that the Government is most reluctant to seek such powers, and did so only when it became crystal clear that the situation could not be controlled unless some extraordinary assistance was made available on an urgent basis. > The authority contained in the Act will permit Governments to deal effectively with the nebulous yet dangerous challenge to society represented by the terrorist organizations. The criminal law as it stands is simply not adequate to deal with systematic terrorism. I might add that Canada today has not known political violence for 30 years and its citizens enjoy rights comparable to that of America. The brief suspension was fortunately very effective indeed. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/13 "2002-03-29T18:09:18Z")
No, not like the PA **Tamerlane** , but like the Liberal government of Canada under Pierre Elliot Trudeau. following an escalation of terrorist activities (that had been going on for several years) by a segment of extreme separatists of a substantial ethnic minority in the fall of 1970. > [@](#): > > - [http://www.nelson.com/nelson/school/discovery/cantext/speech2/1970trwm.htm](http://www.nelson.com/nelson/school/discovery/cantext/speech2/1970trwm.htm) , Trudeau speech \* > > I am speaking to you at a moment of grave crisis, when violent and fanatical men are attempting to destroy the unity and the freedom of Canada…Freedom and personal security are safeguarded by laws; those laws must be respected in order to be effective. …If a democratic society is to continue to exist, it must be able to root out the cancer of an armed, revolutionary movement that is bent on destroying the very basis of our freedom…The War Measures Act gives sweeping powers to the Government. It also suspends the operation of the Canadian Bill of Rights. I can assure you that the Government is most reluctant to seek such powers, and did so only when it became crystal clear that the situation could not be controlled unless some extraordinary assistance was made available on an urgent basis. > The authority contained in the Act will permit Governments to deal effectively with the nebulous yet dangerous challenge to society represented by the terrorist organizations. The criminal law as it stands is simply not adequate to deal with systematic terrorism. I might add that Canada today has not known political violence for 30 years and its citizens enjoy rights comparable to that of America. The brief suspension was fortunately very effective indeed. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/14 "2002-03-29T18:15:44Z")
No, not like the PA **Tamerlane** , but like the Liberal government of Canada under Pierre Elliot Trudeau. following an escalation of terrorist activities (that had been going on for several years) by a segment of extreme separatists of a substantial ethnic minority in the fall of 1970. > [@](#): > > - [http://www.nelson.com/nelson/school/discovery/cantext/speech2/1970trwm.htm](http://www.nelson.com/nelson/school/discovery/cantext/speech2/1970trwm.htm) , Trudeau speech \* > > I am speaking to you at a moment of grave crisis, when violent and fanatical men are attempting to destroy the unity and the freedom of Canada…Freedom and personal security are safeguarded by laws; those laws must be respected in order to be effective. …If a democratic society is to continue to exist, it must be able to root out the cancer of an armed, revolutionary movement that is bent on destroying the very basis of our freedom…The War Measures Act gives sweeping powers to the Government. It also suspends the operation of the Canadian Bill of Rights. I can assure you that the Government is most reluctant to seek such powers, and did so only when it became crystal clear that the situation could not be controlled unless some extraordinary assistance was made available on an urgent basis. > The authority contained in the Act will permit Governments to deal effectively with the nebulous yet dangerous challenge to society represented by the terrorist organizations. The criminal law as it stands is simply not adequate to deal with systematic terrorism. I might add that Canada today has not known political violence for 30 years and its citizens enjoy rights comparable to that of America. The brief suspension was fortunately very effective indeed. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/15 "2002-03-29T19:31:09Z")
[More on the October Crisis](http://cbc.ca/millennium/timelines/feature_octobercrisis.html) from the CBC’s Larry Zolf: > [@](#): > > The invocation of the War Measures Act meant the suspension of traditional Canadian civil liberties. Anyone belonging to the FLQ [Front de liberation du Quebec], or to any cultural or political association suspected of being linked to the FLQ, could be rounded up in the dead of night without a search warrant and incarcerated without the right of habeas corpus. Under the sweeping authority of the act, 465 Canadians were so rounded up. > > A day later, on Saturday October 17th, the body of Pierre Laporte was found stuffed in the trunk of a green Chevrolet. In Ottawa, government sources said the FLQ assassinated Laporte because War Measures was enacted. . . > > . . .The October Crisis was the first time in Canadian history the state itself, both in Ottawa and in Quebec City, was held to ransom by extremists and terrorists. It was also the first time, in peace time, that Ottawa invoked War Measures. . . . > > . . .By the time the crisis had ended, Quebecers and Canadians had for the first time seen a federal government willing to take extreme measures to fight - and fight very hard indeed - for federalism in Canada. It’s also important to realize that the War Measures Act, which was first enacted in 1914, was repealed in 1988 and replaced with the much less-sweeping Emergencies Act. _The Law Connection_, a resource for BC educators, has [this to say](http://www.educ.sfu.ca/cels/past_art28.html): > [@](#): > > [under the Emergencies Act] any attempt by the government to suspend the civil rights of Canadians, even in an emergency, will be subject to the “reasonable and justified” test under section 1 of the Charter. Restrictions and limitations on freedom were inevitable during times of war. To the Canadian government, internment during both World Wars was a practical solution to a perceived security problem. However the terms of the Orders in Council, and the methods used to carry them out, reveal that the government was influenced more by racial discrimination and anti-immigrant sentiments than by any real threat to national security. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/16 "2002-03-29T20:13:54Z")
I’m not sure what your point is **Andros**. Care to elaborate? ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/17 "2002-03-29T23:12:04Z")
Not everyone here is from Canada. Few know anything about the October Crisis. Elaborate? That’s precisely what I _did_. That’s it, nothing more, no point. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/18 "2002-03-29T23:34:24Z")
When al-Jazeera becomes the most free press in the entire world, we should all be scared. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/19 "2002-03-31T01:04:33Z")
. . . apparantly the War Measures Act is the end of the discussion. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Efrem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@Efrem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Efrem)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-israel-suspend-the-free-press-within-present-borders/100648/20 "2002-03-31T03:11:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by capacitor \* > \*\*When al-Jazeera becomes the most free press in the entire world, we should all be scared. \*\* Correct me if I’m wrong but, it was my understanding that al-Jazeera was relatively free from government hassle.