By Alex MacDonald – Middle East Eye
Israeli newspaper Haaretz issued an editorial on Monday disavowing its own publisher after he referred to Palestinians as “freedom fighters”.
Amos Schocken was speaking at a conference in London last month when he made the comments, which provoked an outcry and calls from government ministers to clamp down on the Israeli outlet’s activities.
“The Netanyahu government doesn’t care about imposing a cruel apartheid regime on the Palestinian population,” he told attendees.
“It dismisses the costs of both sides for defending the settlements while fighting the Palestinian freedom fighters, that Israel calls terrorists.”
Although he later clarified his remarks to emphasise that he did not consider Hamas specifically to be freedom fighters, his comments have sparked a controversy at the Israeli media outlet.
On Monday, in an editorial titled “Terrorists Are Not Freedom Fighters,” Haaretz said that Schocken’s clarification did not go far enough as it failed condemn attacks by other Palestinian groups.
“Deliberately harming civilians is illegitimate. Using violence against civilians and sowing terror among them to achieve political or ideological goals is terrorism,” said the editorial.
“Any organization that advocates the murder of women, children and the elderly is a terrorist organization, and its members are terrorists. They certainly aren’t ‘freedom fighters.'”
Press restrictions
Last week, Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi submitted a proposal calling for a number of government restrictions on Haaretz as a result of Schocken’s comments.
Amongst the new proposals issued by Karhi’s office are that the government: “Shall not enter into new contracts with Haaretz, including individual subscriptions for state employees, nor renew any existing contracts; all current agreements with Haaretz, including personal subscriptions, will be cancelled as legally feasible.”
It also said that the Government Advertising Bureau shall: “Direct Haaretz to cease all advertisements, including statutory notices, regardless of payment status, and seek refunds for any existing payments. No further ads shall be placed in the publication.”
The proposal is identical to one issued by Karhi in November 2023, when he accused the outlet of undermining Israel’s war efforts in Gaza.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin also sent a letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara requesting powers to restrict Haaretz’s operations.
“I ask that you urgently provide me with a draft law stipulating that actions by Israeli citizens to promote or encourage international sanctions on Israel, its leaders, security forces, and citizens shall constitute a criminal offence punishable by ten years in prison,” he wrote.
“I further request that such an offence during wartime be considered an aggravating circumstance, allowing for the penalty to be doubled.”
He also cited comments by Schocken in his speech where he called for sanctions to be levied against Israeli government officials.
“Calls for sanctions against Israel… constitute a severe breach of the fundamental duty of loyalty of a citizen toward their country. Such actions promote a course intended to deprive Israel of its right to self-defence,” Levin wrote.
Haaretz is a liberal-leaning outlet that is heavily critical of the Netanyahu government and offers space for pro-Palestinian views.
The newspaper has faced repeated calls for censorship by right-wing politicians.
However, it has also faced internal tensions at times over the differing views of staff members and columnists with regards to Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.