Israel's Indymedia censored. Palestine's Indymedia crippled.

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Tuesday January 27, 2004 05:59 by David C.

Israel's Indymedia has been attacked by the Israeli government and has been shut down for the last month. Meanwhile, Palestine's Indymedia has remained cribbled by technical problems since last summer, and may also be the victim of the Israeli government.

Israel's Indymedia has been attacked by the government and has been shut down (see indymedia.org.il). As this is one of the very few ways of getting uncensored news into and out of Israel, the consequences are serious. Yet there seems to be no outcry from other Indymedia communities.

Until its closure, Israel's Indymedia offered an active and lively venue for debate and exchange of views by people from both sides of the occupation and from all walks of life. The recent increase in postings by American Jews and Israelis critizing the occupation was probably the direct cause of the censorship action that shut it down...

Meanwhile Palestine's Indymedia (jerusalem.indymedia.org) has been crippled since last summer, with the ability to post new news being disabled. Although the disabling of the site is attributed to a technical error, the fact that it is hosted from the indymedia.org domain name suggests that either government action or fear of government action (US or Israeli) may be responsible.

Until their closure both of these sites were diverse, active communities that were frequented by a wide range of people from all sides of the occupation issue. Their closure removes yet another avenue for free and open discussion of this and other regional issues...