What does government boycott of Haaretz mean for press freedom in Israel?

Israel’s cabinet has approved a proposal to cut all government links with Haaretz – a move that could cripple the 105-year-old newspaper financially and force it to shut down.

Haaretz has condemned the action, describing it as “another step in [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s journey to dismantle Israeli democracy”.

Can a free news media survive in Israel?

And can Israel’s Western allies pressure it to respect the democratic values they say they stand for?

Presenter: Tom McRae

Guests:

Akiva Eldar – former Haaretz editorial board member

Tim Dawson – deputy secretary-general of the International Federation of Journalists

Dan Perry – former chairman of the Foreign Press Association of Israel