THE FREE SPEECH UNION AND ISRAEL: APPEASING AN ENEMY OF FREE SPEECH

At least 87 journalists have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli military. Despite the fact that the intentional targeting of journalists is a war crime, the Free Speech Union (NZ) has remained silent. It's no coincidence that several of its board members are apologists for Israel.

ONE OF THE many war crimes that Israel has committed in Gaza has been to deliberately target journalists. Since Israel began its military campaign, at least 87 journalists have been killed. There are also numerous reports of journalists who have either been injured, detained or have simply gone missing. As well, the homes of journalists and media offices have either been damaged or destroyed by Israeli missile attacks.

In comparison, 17 journalists have been killed since the war began between Russia and Ukraine in 2022. It's also worth noting that a total of 69 journalists were killed through the entire five years of World War Two (1939-45) – the bloodiest war the modern world has seen.

Intentionally targeting journalists, and civilians, is a war crime under international humanitarian law. But the Israeli regime has shown an open contempt for the law. And western governments, led by the United States, have allowed Israel's barbarism to continue.

The Committee to Protect Journalists lodged a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on October 31 alleging Israel had perpetrated war crimes against journalists in Gaza. Reporters Without Borders has also urged the ICC to investigate the deaths. 

'The scale, seriousness and recurring nature of international crimes targeting journalists, particularly in Gaza, calls for a priority investigation by the ICC prosecutor,' says Reporters Without Borders.

'Israel is scared of the truth,' says journalist Abby Martin. 'That's why it is systematically killing the journalists. They want everyone to die. They don't want any semblance of civic society left.'

In light of Israel's ongoing and lethal attack on press freedom in Gaza, it would be reasonable to expect that a group like the Free Speech Union (NZ) would have been moved to comment. But despite its website declaring that 'Human beings cannot flourish unless they are free', the FSU has had nothing to say about Israel's continuing targeting of journalists in Gaza.

The FSU's lack of comment is largely due to several of its board members being apologists for Israel.

Board member David Cumin of the Zionist Israeli Institute of New Zealand has defended Israel's military campaign throughout, and has not been above spreading Israeli propaganda in the social media. Cumin has also been directly involved in the attacks on several New Zealand academics who have been critical of Israel.

One such academic is Canterbury University Human Services lecturer, Dr Josephine Varghese. She was accused of being anti-Semitic because of an article she wrote for The Democracy Project. It urged the New Zealand government to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

She told journalist Mick Hall:

'As an academic I welcome and support robust debate. However, debate should be in good faith and should not aim to silence people by threatening their livelihoods and creating an environment where we are in fear of speaking publicly. Personal attacks that simply seek to denigrate character do not foster a free-thinking academic environment.'

Other board members of the FSU who hold pro-Zionist views are Ani O'Brien of Speak Up for Women and political commentator Chris Trotter. 

Chris Trotter has claimed that 'Israel’s legal right to strike back at Hamas is unchallengeable.' However, Israel had no right under international law to use its military to supposedly defend itself against a territory that it illegally occupies. Dipping into his own reactionary interpretation of the Christian faith, Trotter has tried to justify the carnage in Gaza, selectively quoting from the Bible: 'He who sows the wind, shall reap the whirlwind.' 

Although a board member like academic Melissa Derby has been critical of Israel's attack on Gaza and has expressed her support for a ceasefire, the differences of opinion within the FSU have worked in favour of the pro-Zionist camp. The FSU has remained silent as Israel's genocidal military campaign has continued. And it has had nothing to say about the targeting of journalists in Gaza by the Israeli military. 

The best that the FSU has been able to come up with is a petition calling for a tolerant debate about 'the bloody conflict in Gaza'. The petition avoids holding Israel responsible for that 'bloody conflict' but shows no reluctance in calling out Hamas supposedly for 'reigniting' the conflict.

While it's obvious that Israel is responsible for the deaths of nearly 20,000 Palestinians including some 8,000 children, the petition suggests that the cause of the conflict '... is complex, and so is knowing the appropriate response.' This is little more than an attempt to whitewash Israel's barbarism. It's also a lamentable excuse to not call for a ceasefire.  While the FSU says that 'We cannot continue to appease the enemies of free speech', that's exactly what it's doing in Israel's case.