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Tikun Olam (blog)

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Tikun Olam (Template:Lang-he tikkun olam, "repairing the world") is a Seattle-based political blog that regularly reports on Israeli security matters. According to The Daily Telegraph, it "has a record of revealing information censored inside Israel". The blog was created in 2003 by Richard Silverstein and covers the Arab–Israeli conflict and Jewish-Muslim relations.

Reporting

Shin Bet and Mossad

Tikun Olam broke the gag order against reporting the arrest of prominent Israeli Palestinian political activists Ameer Makhoul and Omar Said by the Shin Bet, who accused them of spying against Israel on behalf of Hezbollah. Neither detainee was permitted to consult an attorney for several weeks, and Makhoul contends that his alleged confession was extracted under torture. Said pleaded to a reduced charge and went free. Makhoul later admitted to spying for Hezbollah, as part of a plea bargain.

In 2010, the blog was reportedly the first to publish the names of the candidates for chief of Mossad and Shin Bet. The blog reported that Yitzhak Ilan was the likely candidate to succeed current Shin Bet director, Yuval Diskin. By law, Israeli publications are only allowed to publish the names of the Shabak and Mossad directors, but no subordinate personnel. In Israeli news reports, Ilan has been referred to as "Y." Shin Bet officials also considered Ilan the likely candidate, but eventually he lost the race to Yoram Cohen. Tikun Olam was the first media outlet to report by name that Tamir Pardo, known in the Israeli media as "T." was a candidate to replace Meir Dagan as Mossad director. Subsequently, Pardo was named to the top job.

Anat Kamm–Uri Blau affair

The blog was reportedly the first to break the Israeli court-imposed gag order that prohibited naming Anat Kamm as a former IDF soldier held for leaking secret military documents to Haaretz reporter Uri Blau.

The "Bibi’s Secret War Plan" affair

On August 15, 2012, a Tikun Olam blog entry entitled "Bibi’s Secret War Plan" centered around a "scoop" -- a document purporting to outline plans for a secret Israeli attack against Iran. The blog author claimed to have received the "secret" document from an Israel Defense Forces officer to “expose the arguments and plans advanced by the Bibi-Barak two-headed warrior”.

The blog post was picked up by several mainstream media outlets, including the BBC.

However, the supposed secret Israeli Government document was strikingly similar to an article that had been published several days earlier on the website “Fresh.” It was written by veteran Fresh contributor “Sirpad,” who clearly stated that it was “based on foreign and non-classified sources and on the author’s own imagination.” Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Silverstein is also criticized for his journalistic practices. Yossi Melman, a veteran security and intelligence reporter for Haaretz argues that Silverstein "spreads rumors without checking them" and "is an ideologue, not a journalist." He adds, " is speculative. It is like at the casino: Sometimes he gets it right, and sometimes he doesn’t." Nonetheless, Melman writes that "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."

According to Der Spiegel, "The blogger who lives in the United States is considered to be very well informed when it comes to Israeli security matters. His blog "Tikun Olam" regularly exposes stories which cannot be published in Israel due to military censorship. For example, Silverstein was the first to publish the names of new candidates for the senior posts at the Israeli domestic and external security services."

See also

References

  1. Matthew Kalman, Olmert's Revenge Lifts Israeli Security Veil, AOL News, 21/9/2010
  2. "Iran missile development commander killed in explosion". The Daily Telegraph. November 13, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
  3. "Shin Bet's Cult of Secrecy Continues, Arab NGO Director Arrested Under Gag Order in Dead of Night". May 6, 2010.
  4. "Security scandal angers Arab sector". Ynetnews. May 9, 2010.
  5. Makhoul admits to spying for Hezbollah, Ahiya Raved, 10.27.10, YNetnews
  6. ^ Ronen, Moshe (7 June 2011). "Richard Silverstein vs. censorship". Ynetnews. The website has become one of the Israeli censorship's biggest problems recently when it featured news items that were under a gag order in the Jewish state. Silverstein revealed the names of the Mossad and Shin Bet chief candidates long before the Israeli media did, and was the one who broke the news of the Anat Kam affair - the IDF soldier who leaked confidential documents to a Ha'aretz reporter
  7. "Bibi Set to Name New Shin Bet Director". August 24, 2010.
  8. ^ "Land of Secrets (Hebrew)". Haaretz. August 26, 2010.
  9. "Cohen's appointment / Our easily swayed prime minister". March 29, 2011.
  10. "Mossad Chief Candidate Identified". November 28, 2010.
  11. "Debate in Israel on Gag Order in Security Leak Case". The New York Times. April 7, 2010. Retrieved June 18, 2010. Details began to emerge in mid-March on a blog called Tikun Olam, or Repairing the World, by an American writer, Richard Silverstein.
  12. Cite error: The named reference forward was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. Melman, Yossi (26 August 2010). "Inside Intel / As long as you have your bodyguard". Haaretz.
  14. "Todesengel mit Magnetbomben". Der Spiegel (in German). January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2012.

External links

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