In a striking reversal, the Israeli government has announced it will return equipment it confiscated from The Associated Press (AP) in Sderot, a move which initially drew international condemnation and highlighted growing concerns over press freedoms in the country.
The Associated Press had been operating a live feed showing Gaza when Israeli officials intervened, citing a breach of a recently enacted foreign broadcasters law. This decision was met with strong opposition from numerous stakeholders, including the White House and journalism organizations.
The AP’s equipment seizure was framed as a response to its provision of content to Al Jazeera, a network banned by Israel’s government on security grounds. Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, after facing pressure, said, “I have now ordered to cancel the action and return the equipment to the AP.” He acknowledged that the Ministry of Defense would re-examine the implications of broadcasts from sensitive locations on the security of Israeli forces.
The AP’s response was firm and underscored the significance of their work. “The Associated Press decries in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government,” it stated, urging a swift return of their equipment to continue delivering important visual journalism worldwide.
Intervention from the White House was swift. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson relayed the concern of the Biden administration: “As soon as we learned about the reports, the White House and the State Department immediately engaged with the Government of Israel at high levels to express our serious concern and ask them to reverse this action, which they have publicly committed to do,” emphasizing that “the free press is an essential pillar of democracy and members of the media, including AP, do vital work that must be respected.”
The incident sparked a broader discussion about the controversial foreign broadcaster law, which grants Israeli officials the power to close foreign media operations perceived as threats to national security. This law has faced legal challenges on the grounds that it violates fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and information and the independence of the judiciary.
Critics of the Israeli government’s decision included Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid, who described the action as “an act of madness,” while others, like the Foreign Press Association, warned of the dangerous precedent it sets. “Israel’s move today is a slippery slope,” they cautioned, expressing fear that such measures could extend to block live footage from other international news agencies or coverage of events on vague security grounds.
The contentious relationship between Israel and Al Jazeera has been ongoing, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denouncing the network as biased and a “terror channel.” Al Jazeera has continuously denied such allegations, maintaining its presence in Gaza, a region under stringent Israeli and Egyptian restrictions preventing the entry of independent journalists.
As the law faces further scrutiny in Israeli courts, the Israeli Supreme Court is expected to hold a hearing on a challenge to the law by June 6. Until then, the international community remains vigilant over press freedoms in Israel, seeing the AP case as a bellwether for broader media rights in conflict zones.
Relevant articles:
– Israeli government shuts down Associated Press live shot of Gaza, seizes equipment, CNN, 05/22/2024
– Israel says it will return video equipment seized from AP, The Associated Press, 05/21/2024
– Israeli minister orders return of equipment seized from AP news agency, Al Jazeera English, 05/21/2024
– Israel reverses on seizure of Associated Press camera feed after intense backlash, CNN, 05/21/2024
– Israel says it will return video equipment seized from The Associated Press, hours after shutting down AP’s Gaza video feed, CBS News, 05/21/2024
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