With all of the attention paid to the illegal and intrusive wiretapping programs of the Bush Administration over the past few years, it is interesting to note this story about a similar problem in Israel. This story in Ha’aretz (which is accompanied by a two-minute film clip if you follow the link) explains that the Israel Defense Forces ran phone taps for years under the supervision of the censor. Ha’aretz reports, however, that soldiers often went beyond the scope of permissible wiretaps, which encompassed foreign journalists making international calls from Israel. They also listened in to conversations “…prime ministers held with world leaders and even private conversations by ordinary citizens.”

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