Fake calm, real damage: Israeli journalist unmasks media censorship after Iran strikes

Raviv Drucker, a well-known journalist with Israel's Channel 13, revealed in an investigative report that Israeli police prevented him from filming sites hit by Iranian missiles during the recent conflict — and even threatened him.

He explained: “After I showed my press credentials, their tone changed, but they still insisted I wasn’t allowed to film, saying the censorship authority didn’t permit it. When I asked why the police were following censorship orders, they had no answer — they just told me to drive away.”

Drucker recalled reading a Daily Telegraph report about five Israeli military bases being targeted by Iran, which reminded him of a scene he personally witnessed at one of those bases.

He stressed that the purpose of this censorship is not public safety, but rather to hide the true extent of damage inflicted on Israel from the public.

“This censorship isn’t about saving lives — it’s about preserving the official narrative. So, we must ask: Are journalists supposed to surrender? Are we still guardians of truth, or silent collaborators?”

Drucker asserted that Israel’s censorship office is hiding facts that are easily accessible online and can no longer be denied.

He added: “Censorship no longer protects future operations — it covers up existing failures. When photos of a missile strike on a military base are already on Telegram and other platforms, media censorship serves only to maintain the illusion of victory.”

Drucker concluded with a jab: “Today’s censorship isn’t protecting soldiers’ lives — it’s defending politicians’ reputations. Though still called ‘military censorship,’ it’s essentially just another WhatsApp group taking orders from the Prime Minister’s Office.”