Governmental Regulation of the Press: A Study of Israel\u27s Press Ordinance -Part I

While Israeli case law reveals an open and liberal approach towards freedom of expression, the statutory part of Israel\u27s legal system reflects the familiar schizophrenic model, typical of countries with a long colonial history. One facet of the Israel press law is composed of the preindependence colonial statutes which were enacted by the British Mandate. The other facet of Israeli press law is made up of Israeli statutes enacted in the post independence era. The common denominator of these statutes, as distinct from the mandatory laws, is the conscious effort to balance the interests of freedom of expression with other societal interests. The foregoing description cannot be complete without a mention of Israel\u27s constitutional blueprint for civil liberties. It reflects the traditional Israeli approach which views a variey of interests as sufficiently legitimate to justify substantial limitation of speech. This article traces the history of the laws in Israel that define freedom of expression