The defense establishment is lodging harsh criticism of the
Israeli media for detailed reporting on fighting in the
North, including precise details on the location of missile
strikes.
Defense officials say Hizbullah has a special unit that
tracks media reports in Israel and relays information to
Katyusha launchers on how to improve missile accuracy.
Gilboa Region Council Head Brigadier General (Res.) Dani
Atar sent a furious letter to the Defense Minister asking
him to apply censorship regulations. It is imperative to
prohibit the media from broadcasting this type of report, he
writes, "and to enforce emergency and censorship guidelines
in the case of this totally negligent and irresponsible
conduct."
Following the complaints, the Chief Censor's Bureau on
Sunday issued tight restrictions on media reporting, such as
refraining from real-time reports on where rockets land. The
Censor's Bureau says it has received dozens of calls from
citizens and public figures furious over the broadcasts.
"Therefore all of us have a part in the overall
responsibility to carry out balanced coverage on one hand
and to maintain morale and public perseverance on the
other."
The police joined the call, issuing a joint set of
instructions together with the IDF and security officials
not to provide detailed information on the location of
rocket landings, saying it "helps rocket launchers to re-aim
and fire at the same place. Therefore an order has been
given not to convey any more reports on the precise location
of landings, but rather a general report."
The police also instructed officers giving interviews not to
provide precise details on the location of landings and the
various added components found during inspections of the
landing sites, except for general information on the type of
missile, its diameter and its general payload.
Public figures lodged harsh criticism against the defense
establishment for waiting until this week to publish the
censorship instructions, a critical delay that already led
to enormous, irreversible damage.
