P F Tinmore
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- Dec 6, 2009
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In its editorial, Haaretz underlined the central moral irony of the case: the controversy over Blau's reporting on so-called "sensitive" security matters hides the real issue: Israel's military circumvented the High Court by authorizing targeted assassinations outside of the rules of engagement.
"In reality, however, the crime in question is far more severe - the one committed by the security apparatus (GOC Central Command in particular) in ignoring a High Court order and approving the targeted assassination of wanted men who could otherwise have been detained, in strikes that claimed the lives of innocent civilians," Haaretz's editorial board wrote.
Regardless, many unanswered questions remain. What information was contained in the other documents that Blau was forced to hand over? What other, even more unsettling secrets might still be submerged in the recesses of Israeli bureaucracy?
Beyond this, what motivated the Shin Bet to commit the blunder of seeking a court-ordered gag order that embarrassingly collapsed under inevitable media pressure?
Avner Cohen told me he thought one aspect of the motivation was related to "Israeli sensitivity about the Goldstone report," referring to the UN fact-finding mission that accused Israel of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during its offensive on Gaza last year.
Cohen said the underlying context in the Kamm-Blau case is concern within the Israeli government about a "crisis of legitimacy" sparked by the allegations in the Goldstone report.
"There is a nervousness in Israel," he said. "There is a sense that what has been tolerated by the world for decades, the occupation, the checkpoints and so on, that there is less and less tolerance for Israel as occupier."
Maan News Agency: Israel's 'crisis of legitimacy' - Jared Malsin
"In reality, however, the crime in question is far more severe - the one committed by the security apparatus (GOC Central Command in particular) in ignoring a High Court order and approving the targeted assassination of wanted men who could otherwise have been detained, in strikes that claimed the lives of innocent civilians," Haaretz's editorial board wrote.
Regardless, many unanswered questions remain. What information was contained in the other documents that Blau was forced to hand over? What other, even more unsettling secrets might still be submerged in the recesses of Israeli bureaucracy?
Beyond this, what motivated the Shin Bet to commit the blunder of seeking a court-ordered gag order that embarrassingly collapsed under inevitable media pressure?
Avner Cohen told me he thought one aspect of the motivation was related to "Israeli sensitivity about the Goldstone report," referring to the UN fact-finding mission that accused Israel of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during its offensive on Gaza last year.
Cohen said the underlying context in the Kamm-Blau case is concern within the Israeli government about a "crisis of legitimacy" sparked by the allegations in the Goldstone report.
"There is a nervousness in Israel," he said. "There is a sense that what has been tolerated by the world for decades, the occupation, the checkpoints and so on, that there is less and less tolerance for Israel as occupier."
Maan News Agency: Israel's 'crisis of legitimacy' - Jared Malsin