Posted on 03/11/2003 9:47:37 AM PST by anotherview
Mar. 11, 2003
Jerusalem police close 11 pirate radio stations
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
Jerusalem police on Tuesday raided 11 pirate radio stations illegally operating in the capital, closed down their offices, and confiscated a vast amount broadcasting equipment, police said.
During the afternoon raid, which was coordinated with Communications Ministry officials, police arrested three broadcasters who were working at the stations, and apprehended the manager of the city's central Migdal Ha'ir building after they found an illegal transmitter installed on the roof.
The police also confiscated a large quantity of broadcasting equipment, including transmitters, amplifiers, computers and antennas from the stations, several of which were haredi-owned and operated.
Some of the studios were located in private homes, while one was operating from a yeshiva in the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot.
Arutz 7 broadcasts from an offshore location, although they have already been subject to a number of shutdowns and have backup procedures in place.
The Leftists are truly despicable in their absolute hegemony of the Israeli media.
They were operating without a license from the Ministry of Communications.
According to Israel National News (another "unlicensed" station which broadcasts from international waters offshore), all the stations were ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious channels.
Gov´t Raids Shas Radio Stations
The Shas Party convened an urgent meeting this afternoon, in light of the police raids today on 11 unlicensed religious radio stations. Police and Communications Authority personnel closed down the Jerusalem-area stations, confiscating much equipment.
"They have taken our transmitters in order to shut us up," Shas leaders said today, "but we will fight to the finish." The stations are popularly known as "the holy channels," and in fact broadcast mostly religious, inspirational, and charity-oriented programming.
They have been doing exactly that for the past 50 years, and have always been turned down. You know just as well as I do that the leftists have always suppressed any form of expression from the right-wing and the religious. It is very mean of you to gloat over Shinui's ugly campaign against the religious population.
Tommy Lapid has said over and over again since the election that Shinui is NOT anti-religious. He and Effi Eitam of the NRP managed to reach reasonable, rational accommodations. Despite this the haredim continue to villify Shinui, as does Arutz Sheva, as do you. Dayenu!
Yes, for many years Labor was in control. That was then. This is now. Haredi broadcasters have a very strong ally in Binyamin Netanyahu. It seems to me now is the time for legal change in broadcast licenses, just as Finance Minister Netanyahu has proposed. I most certainly support this, and support legal religious broadcasting. If Shas wants a radio station I see no reason they shouldn't have one.
I believe in the rule of law. Israel is a democracy last I checked. Let Shas and others work through the ministers involved or, if necessary, through the Knesset. I'd bet, despite the coalition with Shinui, they will find the Sharon government quite receptive.
How is an Orthodox radio station "religious coercion" or "controlling your life"? Nobody is forcing you to listen. But the leftists want to shut down all stations that don't spout their party line. That BTW includes any right-wing SECULAR stations they want to censor.
the haredim continue to villify Shinui, as does Arutz Sheva, as do you.
Give me one damn good reason why I should not despise Tommy Lapid after the vile campaign that he conducted. I don't think the NRP trusts him either but they hope to keep him from doing too much damage.
FWIW, I support Likud and Sharon instead of Shas. I never cared much for the religious parties, NRP being the closest to my personal views. I do know that many haredim purposely voted for Likud instead of Shas, while the leftists who voted for Shinui were actually voting AGAINST Labor. So now the haredim are going to suffer for supporting Likud? That really sucks.
(I really DO NOT WANT to get into an intramural squabble with you since we basically agree on most of the same things.)
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