Country
Israel
Government actions against journalists in Israel
RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180. World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF); rank 1 is the freest.
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
Israel is in Western Asia, Asia. The record holds 3 incidents in which the government of Israel, or an official, court or legislature there, limited journalists' ability to report.
Tactics used
- Prior restraint: 2 incidents · ladder
- Access bans: 1 incident · ladder
- Expulsion and visa denial: 1 incident · ladder
Heads of government at the time
Incidents by year
2026
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 January 2026 | Israel: ban on independent entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip, 2023 to 2026 | Access bans | Restrict | Sustained (25 February 2026) |
2010
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2010 | Israel: a court bars any mention of the 'Prisoner X' case | Prior restraint | Silence | Benjamin Netanyahu | Unknown (1 June 2010) |
1948
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Israel retains a British-era law giving the military the power to review and restrict the press | Prior restraint | Silence | David Ben-Gurion | Ongoing (1 January 1989) |
Ladders: where each tactic has led · Timeline for Israel · Asia