Israeli Defense Minister Orders Army to Boycott News.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed today that Defense Minister Israel Katz has recently ordered a media boycott in the Israeli army.
According to the report, Katz has ordered IDF Spokesperson Efi Dufferin to stop all interviews and meetings with reporters with senior military commanders and officers.
Katz stressed that military commanders and officers are not allowed to interview reporters without his approval on meetings and topics, an order that, according to news outlets, goes against long-standing practice.
According to the directive, only the IDF spokesperson can speak to reporters without permission.
According to military sources, the order was issued about a month ago after the Defense Minister was angered by statements in the media quoting some senior commanders that downplayed the achievements of the Gaza war, and interviews with journalists have been suspended since then.
According to these sources, Katz’s order to boycott the news will lead to a serious decline in public trust in the Israeli army.