Israel strengthens military censorship in wartime

JerusalemIn every country at war, information is another battleground, and the US-Israeli war against Iran is no exception. "Be careful what you show, censorship is getting strict," warned a reporter from an Arab television station to his colleagues preparing to broadcast live from a viewpoint overlooking Haifa, in northern Israel, last week. The backdrop was spectacular: the illuminated port, the tranquil bay, and the skyscrapers on the horizon.

In Israel, the military censorship system, in place since the 1967 Six-Day War, is being tightened in an attempt by Tel Aviv to control the narrative, at least regarding the damage suffered. Under the pretext of protecting national security, the authorities have reinforced restrictions on journalists and citizens attempting to document the effects of Iranian missile attacks.

All media outlets that publish information related to security, defense, operational issues or the status of weapons systems, including stockpiles of interceptor missiles or the readiness of air defense systems, will submit their contents to the military censor, an office linked to army intelligence headed by Colonel Netanel Kula.

Live broadcasts

In practice, this means that journalists cannot reveal the exact location of missile impacts, show military installations, provide details about air defense systems, or publish information about ongoing military operations. They are also prohibited from filming or photographing the launch sites of interceptor missiles and from broadcasting live images of the skylines of cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem when sirens sound to warn of approaching drones or projectiles.

“The military censor has an enormous impact on the flow of information to the public and possesses draconian powers to restrict publications it deems could substantially harm state security,” Dr. Guy Lurie, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, explained to ARA. “It’s a legacy of the British Mandate,” he said, referring to the period of British colonization of Palestine prior to the creation of the State of Israel. According to Lurie, the country’s mainstream media strictly adhere to these restrictions, and the public often expects them to do so.

In recent weeks, journalists have also been detained for allegedly violating the rules. One of the most talked-about cases occurred in Tel Aviv, when CNN correspondent Emrah Çakmak and cameraman Halil Kahraman were detained while broadcasting live from near the Ministry of Defense following an Iranian attack. Despite identifying themselves as journalists, their broadcast was cut off and their equipment temporarily confiscated. Authorities are also inviting the press to make official visits to damaged sites, such as the one made this Monday by President Isaac Herzog.

“There’s a national security argument, to prevent the enemy from knowing where their missiles are hitting, and that has some validity,” Daniel Levy, president of the US Middle East Project and advisor to former Prime Minister Ehud Barak (1999-2001), explained to ARA. “But there’s also another element.” Keeping society highly mobilized in favor of the conflict is an important factor for the authorities, and limiting images of the actual impact of the attacks or of possible errors in the defense system helps maintain a perception of military effectiveness.

In a case documented by the Israeli magazine +972 MagazineAn Iranian missile that hit its target launched fragments into a school. The media were only allowed to report on the damage to the educational building, without mentioning the true target of the attack. In another incident, journalists inside a residential building damaged by an attack were warned by security agents not to film the missile's actual target, located directly behind it.

What is the real damage caused by the Iranian attacks?

These kinds of situations often leave even journalists unsure of exactly what has happened. It's unclear how many missiles have landed within the country or the true extent of the material damage. Official figures put the death toll at around fifteen, but the lack of information makes it difficult to verify the true scope of the attacks.

According to Reporters Without Borders, the Israeli offensive on Gaza that began in 2023 marked a turning point in the relationship between the Israeli government and the media. In the following eighteen months, more than 250 journalists were killed in the Gaza Strip in Israeli military operations, and pressure on journalists inside Israel has continued to increase. In fact, in 2024, the military censor banned the publication of 1,635 articles and partially censored another 6,265. +972 Magazine, was the highest level of censorship recorded at least since 2011.