Director General of the Ministry of the Interior, Ronen Peretz ordered a halt in cooperation between his ministry and the Haaretz newspaper, following Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken’s brazen statement, that "Palestinian terrorists are freedom fighters.”
In a letter that Peretz sent to Kobi Alter, Director of the Department of Publications at the Ministry of the Interior, he detailed the reason for the decision: "The publisher of Haaretz, Mr. Amos Schocken, made some brazen statements in English at a conference held in London, in which he called Palestinian terrorists 'freedom fighters.' He also called for sanctions to be imposed on Israel and its leaders and claimed that the IDF is implementing a 'second Nakba' and imposing an Apartheid regime in Judea, Samaria and Gaza."
Peretz continued: "These words raise disgust and indicate a severe detachment from basic morality, especially while Israel is waging an just war, which began after the murderous terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7th."
"In view of the seriousness of the situation, and until further notice," Peretz wrote: "I am ordering a halt to all advertising and agreements with Haaretz, directly and through the Government Publication Office, as relevant. We cannot and do not intend to remain silent in the face of any harm or injury to IDF soldiers and the state’s efforts to protect its citizens.”
Mayor of Nesher, Roi Levy, also ordered a halt on advertising in Haaretz after the newspaper's publisher, Amos Shocken, claimed at a conference in London that "Palestinian terrorists are freedom fighters."
Levy wrote: "I informed the municipality spokesperson and the treasurer to stop any advertising in Ha’aretz and agreements related to this newspaper. Only a consumer boycott with public money will have any effect."
Channel 14 mentioned on Wednesday that Shocken said: "The Netanyahu government is not bothered about imposing a brutal apartheid regime over the Palestinian population. It ignores the cost of defending the settlements to both sides, while fighting the Palestinian freedom combat soldiers, whom Israel calls terrorists."
"To a certain extent, what is happening now in the occupied territories and in part of Gaza is a second Nakba. A Palestinian state must be established."
Shocken also claimed that, "The only way to achieve this is through sanctions against the Israeli leaders, who oppose it and against the settlers."