The Ministerial Legislative Committee on Sunday rejected a bill proposed by MK (Shas) Amnon Cohen seeking to censor “unsuitable” internet sites in Israel. The bill passed its preliminary reading in the previous 17th Knesset, but the ministers halted it on Sunday.
The bill sought to establish a censorship that would require a request to one’s ISP (Internet Service Provider) to access blocked sites on a specific computer. The bill was intended to remove many of dangers to which one may be exposed as a result of unwanted and unsuitable content, but the ministers feel such a move is not in line with a democratic society.
Likud Minister Michael Eitan expressed sharp opposition, calling on the cabinet not to support the bill, adding Likud remains committed to progress and falling in line with Western nations, unlike Kadima, which he accused of working in the previous Knesset to advance the bill. Eitan stated that Likud believes censorship may be accomplished through education and not by a broad censorship that is in line with the policies of countries like Iran, N. Korea and China.
Eitan also calls on parents to accept responsibility for monitoring their children’s content, warning a government-approved censorship may be used inappropriately by some towards filtering “legitimate content”. in addition warns Eitan, such a policy would likely lead to major disagreements between chareidim and secularists regarding just what content should be permitted and what should be censored.
Dan Chen, who runs the popular Israeli Tapuz internet site, called on ministers to reject the bill, stating it is a matter of defining the character of the state as a democratic nation, agreeing with Eitan that education is the way to go. He warned that approving the bill would be a “dark day in Israeli democracy”.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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4 Responses
The new “Golden Calf,” worshipped by the Western countries and Israel is called “Democracy.”
To this idol, these fool idol-worshipers sacrifice the future of their youngest and most vulnerable citizens.
As the Talmud teaches: “Im Ayn Daas, Havdoloh Minayin.”–Where there is no common sense, there is no ability to decide what is right and what is wrong.
Of course, many members of the Israeli ruling class would want to censor subversive sites, such as YWN (not to mention heretical ones associated with Shas). Does one really want the government to control what you can use your computer for? A switch of a handful of seats, and the Israeli government will be limited to parties that see Torah as the enemy.
Perhaps the best way to avoid such sites is not to look at them. There is software that will sort of block offensive materials (the one installed at my job blocked a halachic discussion of the status of the child of a rape victim – but it does block pornography and gambling sites).
deepthinker: Well put.
it would not be a good idea b/c then everyone would think the internet would be safe, and in reality wouldnt b/c the censorship would be bypassed.