In a controversial move, Israeli authorities confiscated equipment from The Associated Press (AP) in Sderot, citing a breach of a new foreign broadcaster law. The AP, which provides live feeds to various clients including Al Jazeera, condemned the seizure as an abuse of power.
Lauren Easton, AP’s Vice President of Corporate Communications, expressed strong disapproval: “The Associated Press decries in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government to shut down our longstanding live feed showing a view into Gaza and seize AP equipment. The shutdown was not based on the content of the feed but rather an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law. We urge the Israeli authorities to return our equipment and enable us to reinstate our live feed immediately so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world.”
The incident occurred after officials from the Communications Ministry, acting on orders from Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, targeted the AP’s broadcasting gear. The AP had been airing a general view of northern Gaza, adhering to Israel’s military censorship rules that restrict sensitive content like troop movements.
This action follows a previous directive to halt the live transmission, which AP did not comply with. The ministry stated it would enforce measures to protect state security.
The tension between Israel and Al Jazeera escalated earlier this month when Israeli officials closed Al Jazeera’s local offices, confiscated equipment, and banned broadcasts, amidst cease-fire negotiations with Hamas. The Qatari broadcaster has been a constant presence in Gaza, reporting on the war’s impact, including airstrikes and hospital conditions.
The conflict in Gaza has been marked by significant casualties, with the Health Ministry reporting over 35,000 Palestinian deaths. The international community has reacted, with some supporting the International Criminal Court’s request for arrest warrants for leaders on both sides.
The AP’s equipment seizure has raised questions about press freedom and the implications of the new Israeli law on foreign media coverage. Israel is currently rated as having “moderate freedom” by MBFC but is in decline. See MBFC’s Interactive Country Freedom Map:
Subscribe With Email
Join 23K other subscribers
Media Bias Fact Check
Source link
