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The suicide of an alleged Mossad spy in an Israeli jail has raised the question of censorship in the digital age.

It has also more widely revealed the inner workings of the Israeli security establishment's relationship with the media.

Ben Zygier, also known as Ben Alon, held dual citizenship - Australian and Israeli.

When he was held by the Israelis his family was informed, but there was a news blackout in Israel on grounds of national security.

It is said that even his guards were unaware of his identity and he became known as Prisoner X.

The blackout continued after his suicide, but on Tuesday Australia's ABC network broadcast details of his death and the background to the case.

The news quickly spread to other foreign news outlets and then onto social media sites in Israel.

Despite, or perhaps because of that, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called in the Israeli Editors Committee (IEC) and "asked" members to continue to withhold information.

Breaking the security censorship laws in Israel can lead to prison sentences.

By this point ordinary Israelis were busy sending tweets such as: "Foreign media says the sun is shining in Israel today" and other pointed barbs at how the security establishment was trying to tell the tide not to come in.

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Israel, Prisoner X And Digital Age Censorship