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| | date = August 26, 2010}}</ref> | | date = August 26, 2010}}</ref> | ||
| California court ruled that Richard Silverstein of Tikun Olam blog committed Libel Per Se. See here: http://www.citmedialaw.org/sites/citmedialaw.org/files/2010-07-19-Superior%20Court%20Order.pdf Thus, what ever is written by Richard Silverstein should be taken with a grain of salt. In additon see here: Richard Silvestein Unhinged: http://www.shieldofachilles.net/2008/03/richard-silverstein-unhinged.html And here: Richard Silverstein, Pro-Terror http://www.israellycool.com/2010/03/28/richard-silverstein-pro-terror/ | |||
| ==]== | |||
| ===]=== | |||
| The blog was the first to break the ] censor's prohibition against naming ] as a former IDF soldier held for ] secret military documents to ] reporter, ].<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = Debate in Israel on Gag Order in Security Leak Case | |||
| | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/world/middleeast/07israel.html | |||
| | newspaper = ] | |||
| | date = April 7, 2010 | |||
| | accessdate = June 18, 2010 | |||
| }}</ref> It was also the first to break a gag order and identify "Captain George" (Doron Zahavi), a former ] in the ], accused of ] ] prisoner ].<ref name=Hair>{{cite news | |||
| | title = Coming soon to Shabaks dungeons | |||
| | url = http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2010/08/06/coming-soon-to-shabaks-dungeons | |||
| | newspaper = ] Magazine | |||
| | date = August 6, 2010 | |||
| | accessdate = August 6, 2010 | |||
| }}</ref> Furthermore, the blog published the full version of a report that was heavily censored within Israel, about the ] ] ].<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = Story IDF Censor Couldn’t Stop on Top Secret Israeli Nuclear Base | |||
| | url=http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2010/07/11/uncensored-jerusalem-post-story-on-top-secret-israeli-nuclear-base/ | |||
| | date = July 11, 2010}}</ref> Silverstein was the first to publish the name of the Israeli soldier featured in a ] video abusing a bound, blind-folded ] woman detainee, Ihsan Dababseh, by dancing a suggestive Arab dance around her.<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = AFP Identifies Palestinian Abuse Victim in YouTube Video, Twitter Does Rest | |||
| | url = http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2010/10/07/afp-identifies-palestinian-abuse-victim-in-youtube-video/ | |||
| | date = October 7, 2010 | |||
| }}</ref> The soldier, Avi Yakobov, subsequently refused to apologize to the detainee and said that while his behavior had been childish, he claimed that she had been arrested for attempting to stab another soldier. Though she was later convicted of belonging to Islamic Jihad and served a 22 month sentence, she was neither charged with nor convicted of the assault Yakobov claimed. | |||
| Tikun Olam was the first ] to publish a secret IDF memo describing the rules by which the ] was maintained including lists of banned foods and other basic necessities. The military refused to release it citing danger to national security, until ], the Israeli ], forced it to do so under a ] request.<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = NGO Forces IDF to Release Secret Memo Documenting Gaza Strangulation | |||
| | url = http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2010/10/24/ngo-forces-idf-to-release-infamous-memo-documenting-gaza-strangulation/ | |||
| | date = October 24, 2010 | |||
| }}</ref> Israeli media published the story two days later.<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = Israel releases papers detailing formula of Gaza blockade | |||
| | url = http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-releases-papers-detailing-formula-of-gaza-blockade-1.321154 | |||
| | newspaper = ] | |||
| | date = October 26, 2010 | |||
| }}</ref> | |||
| ===]=== | |||
| Tikun olam broke the gag order against reporting the arrest of prominent Israeli Palestinian political activists ] and ] by the ], who accused them of spying against Israel on behalf of ]. Neither detainee was permitted to consult an attorney for several weeks, and Makhoul contends that his alleged confession was extracted under torture. Said pled to a reduced charge and went free.<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = Shin Bet's Cult of Secrecy Continues, Arab NGO Director Arrested Under Gag Order in Dead of Night | |||
| | url=http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2010/05/06/shin-bets-israeli-cult-of-secrecy-continues-arab-ngo-director-secretly-arrested-in-dead-of-night/ | |||
| | date = May 6, 2010}}</ref> | |||
| <ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = Security scandal angers Arab sector | |||
| | url = http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3887040,00.html | |||
| | newspaper = ] | |||
| | date = May 9, 2010}}</ref> Makhoul later admitted to spying for Hezbollah, as part of a ].<ref name="confess">, Ahiya Raved, 10.27.10, YNetnews</ref> | |||
| The blog was the first to report that ] was the likely candidate to succeed current Shin Bet director, ]. By law, Israeli publications are only allowed to publish the names of the Shabak and Mossad directors, but no subordinate personnel.<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = Bibi Set to Name New Shin Bet Director | |||
| | url=http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2010/08/24/bibi-to-name-new-shin-bet-director/ | |||
| | date = August 24, 2010}}</ref>. Ilan in Israeli news reports has been referred to as "Y.".<ref name=Melman /> | |||
| ===]=== | |||
| Tikun Olam was the first media outlet to report by name that ], known in the Israeli media as "T." was a candidate to replace ] as ] director.<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title= Mossad Chief Candidate Identified | |||
| | url = http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2010/11/28/mossad-chief-candidate-identified/ | |||
| | date = November 28, 2010}}</ref> Subsequently, Pardo was named to the top job. The blog was first to report that Dagan managed to squelch a Knesset investigation of the ] of ] operative ].<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = Should the Mossad's legal adviser intervene in operational affairs? | |||
| | url = http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/should-the-mossad-s-legal-adviser-intervene-in-operational-affairs-1.320359 | |||
| | newspaper = ] | |||
| | date = October 21, 2010}}</ref> The blog also revealed the identity of Immanuel Sonino, a Mossad agent who died in line of duty, and whose name is still a secret in Israel, almost two decades after his death.<ref name=Hair /><ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = Mossad, the Cult of Secrecy, and Its Israeli Victims | |||
| | url=http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2010/04/22/mossad-the-cult-of-secrecy-and-its-israeli-victims | |||
| | date = April 22, 2010}}</ref> | |||
| ===]=== | |||
| Tikun Olam was the first non-Israeli publication to break the story of of ], an unknown detainee held in isolation whose identity was not even known to his jailers. A source within ] speculated to Silverstein that he may be an Arab security prisoner. The fact that there is a gag order against reporting about him and that he sits in a special cell constructed to house the Israeli assassin, ], who murdered ], indicates that Prisoner X is likely a high-profile security suspect.<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | title = Israel gripped by identity of 'Prisoner X' | |||
| | url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/7844607/Israel-gripped-by-identity-of-Prisoner-X.html | |||
| | newspaper = ] | |||
| | date = June 21, 2010 | |||
| | accessdate = September 23, 2010 | |||
| }}</ref> | |||
| ==Criticism== | ==Criticism== | ||
Revision as of 15:32, 8 December 2010
Tikun Olam (תקון עולם Tikkun olam) is a Seattle-based political blog, which regularly reports on Israeli security matters. The blog was created in 2003 by Richard Silverstein and covers the Arab–Israeli conflict and Jewish-Muslim relations.
Tikun Olam exposed numerous stories banned for publication in Israel because of gag orders, or directives from Israel's Military Censor. Intelligence and military affairs correspondent Yossi Melman of Haaretz, wrote:
- The American blogger Richard Silverstein has transformed himself into the international message board of information which military censorship and Israeli courts forbid publishing. In the past, he reported on the Anat Kamm case while Israeli authorities gagged the mouths of Israel’s media...Silverstein’s blog is important because he exposes the security services and the courts in all their nakedness. They use the instruments of the 20th century to protect secrets which aren’t really secrets in the age of 21st century technology.
California court ruled that Richard Silverstein of Tikun Olam blog committed Libel Per Se. See here: http://www.citmedialaw.org/sites/citmedialaw.org/files/2010-07-19-Superior%20Court%20Order.pdf Thus, what ever is written by Richard Silverstein should be taken with a grain of salt. In additon see here: Richard Silvestein Unhinged: http://www.shieldofachilles.net/2008/03/richard-silverstein-unhinged.html And here: Richard Silverstein, Pro-Terror http://www.israellycool.com/2010/03/28/richard-silverstein-pro-terror/
Criticism
In an article published by The Guardian, Silverstein criticized the Bush administration for revoking the visa of noted European Muslim scholar, Tariq Ramadan. The U.S. government would only say that it had taken this action because of unspecified security concerns. The blog author noted that many of these concerns might have been based on a published attack on Ramadan by Daniel Pipes, who claimed the former was a supporter of Islamic terrorism. Pipes added that the Department of Homeland Security concluded Ramadan had donated money to a Swiss Palestinian-support group that is blacklisted by the United States government. But Ramadan's supporters noted that the groups to which Ramadan donated were not proscribed by the U.S. when he made gave those gifts, and that there was no way he could know in advance that they would be.
Silverstein later accused Pipes of smearing Rashid Khalidi while under consideration for appointment to an endowed chair at Princeton University and also fired from teaching at New York public school about the Middle East, because of "false charges made by Daniel Pipes of supporting Arab radicalism." In response, Daniel Pipes pointed out that Khalidi served as a spokesman for the Palestinian Liberation Organization in the 1970s when it was still a registered terrorist organization by the U.S State Department.
In his blog, Silverstein claimed a representative from the pro-Israel watchdog organization CAMERA described Naim Ateek as "worse than Hamas.". CAMERA officials accused Silverstein of fabricating the statements, and asked Silverstein to provide evidence of the conversation and the name of the representative.
External links
References
- Matthew Kalman, Olmert's Revenge Lifts Israeli Security Veil, AOL News, 21/9/2010
- "Land of Secrets (Hebrew)". Haaretz. August 26, 2010.
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/06/israelandthepalestinians Uninvited guests
- http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-08-31/news/0408310097_1_ban-djamel-beghal-contacts Scholar under siege defends his record
- http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2008/06/richard-silverstein-shoots-himself-in-the Richard Silverstein Shoots Himself in the Foot
- http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/jul/8/20040708-083635-4366r/ Arafat minion as professor
- http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2009/07/18/palestinian-canon-naim-ateek-worse-than-hamas/ PALESTINIAN CANON NAIM ATEEK: “WORSE THAN HAMAS”
- http://blog.camera.org/archives/2009/07/richard_silverstein_whats_your.html Richard Silverstein, What's Your Evidence?