Israel warns Web sites on war coverage

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday March 21, 2003 10:33 by CNET News

Israel's top government censor has warned Web sites in her country not to publish sensitive information about the war with Iraq. Chief Censor Rachel Dolev sent a letter on Wednesday to "scoop" news sites, instructing editors to seek government permission before publishing information about "materials that could pose a threat to the security of the State of Israel and its residents." Dolev's letter warned the sites, including Rotter.net and Fresh.co.il, not to publish the locations of any missile strikes, information about Israeli Cabinet deliberations or information about Israeli wartime cooperation with other governments such as that of the United States. Israel has ranked poorly in a press-freedoms index created by advocacy group Reporters Without Borders, ranking below the Palestinian National Authority, Zambia and Cambodia. Last year, the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned what it called "attempts by the (Israel Defense Forces) to intimidate the press from covering the IDF's widening military