Dr. Aaron Lerner: While the commentary below relates to Israelis who
provide sensitive material to foreign reporters, it should be noted with
regard to the oversight role of the Knesset that with the exception of the
Arab parties that the opposition parties are represented in the special
Foreign Affairs subcommittee that has essentially complete knowledge of
State secrets so that it can perform its oversight function.

Put simply: if an MK from Meretz really wants to get to the bottom of a
story within the framework of the oversight role of the Knesset, then the
Knesset can indeed get to the very bottom of the story behind closed doors.
But it will remain behind closed doors. No photo op. No 20 seconds of
glory on the evening news.

.

Weekly Commentary: Leakers are Traitors

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 14 February 2013

We live in a world with tremendous dangers.

And there are people who put their lives on the line addressing them.

By the same token, failures in the addressing of these dangers can lead to
situations that could put hundreds, thousands and even more of us in mortal
danger.

As far as I am concerned, an Israeli who shares information that could
compromise our nation's most sensitive operations with reporters or simply
passes it around the internet is no better than a terrorist.

On second thought, they aren't terrorists, they are traitors.

I don't care how big their egos may be or their ideological motives, when
it comes to this kind of information, no one has the right to take the law
into their own hands.

And please don't tell me that in the age of internet that there are no
secrets as long as two people know.

Suffice it to say that enough things have transpired in just the recent past
that are proof positive that there is considerable information that our
enemies have not had access to in a timely fashion.

I sincerely hope that the Israeli media reflects this in its coverage of
Israeli leaking of such information to reporters.

It should be made crystal clear that the leakers are not seen either as
heroes or in a neutral fashion but instead as despicable traitors
endangering the nation.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il