Inside Story

What does government boycott of Haaretz mean for press freedom in Israel?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet approves proposal to sanction the country’s oldest newspaper.

Israel’s cabinet has approved a proposal to cut all government links with Haaretz – a move that could cripple the 105-year-old newspaper financially and force it to shut down.

Haaretz has condemned the action, describing it as “another step in [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s journey to dismantle Israeli democracy”.

Can a free news media survive in Israel?

And can Israel’s Western allies pressure it to respect the democratic values they say they stand for?

Presenter: Tom McRae

Guests:

Akiva Eldar – former Haaretz editorial board member

Tim Dawson – deputy secretary-general of the International Federation of Journalists

Dan Perry – former chairman of the Foreign Press Association of Israel