Israel stifles free press covering Gaza

 

The body of a Palestinian security force officer lays in the rubble after an Israeli missile strike on a building in Gaza City, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008. AP/Fadi Adwan

On one hand, one can't blame the Israeli government for wanting to do what it can to prevent the world from seeing the effects of its devastating Gaza air strikes that have killed hundreds of Palestinians.

In 48-hours, Israel has decimated the Gaza Strip, killed more than 300 Palestinians and injured 1,400 others in a "shock and awe" air campaign. 

Israeli air strikes have targeted a mosque, universities, and private homes as part of the military campaign aimed at destabilizing Hamas rulers and preventing Gaza militants from continuing to fire endless rounds of rockets into southern Israel.

But, as the BBC's Jo Floto noted last month after Israel first barred journalists from entering Gaza, Israel has joined a notorious and small list of countries preventing reporters from doing their job.

Israel, which prides itself on being the healthiest democracy in the Middle East, joins North Korea, Zimbabwe and Burma in denying media access to a major story.

In essence, Israel has transformed the entire Gaza Strip into a closed military zone. 

Reporters from every major news organization, from the BBC and CNN to The New York Times and The Washington Post to NPR and McClatchy to AP and Fox News, are being barred by Israel from going into Gaza to cover the deadliest military campaign there since Israel seized the area from Egypt in the 1967 war.

The Foreign Press Association, of which McClatchy is a part, has called the Israeli closure "insufferable" and asked the Israeli Supreme Court to take immediate action to lift the ban.

So far, Israel's high court has been slow to act and shows no sign that it is overly concerned. Appeals for a swift decision have been repeatedly rejected and the case won't be heard until Wednesday.

On Monday, the Israeli military went one step farther and declared the Gaza border, where tanks, artillery and troops are massing for a possible ground offensive, a closed military zone.

That drew another protest from the FPA, which denounced the closure, ostensibly being done for our own protection, "patently ridiculous."

Israel first imposed the ban on reporters going to Gaza on Nov. 4 when its military broke the cease-fire with Hamas by sending forces in to destroy a tunnel. Since then, Israel has opened the border for reporters for only a few days.

Israeli officials argue that the closure is meant to protect its staff at the border crossing from being exposed to unnecessary risks of rocket fire. But that argument holds little weight because the Israeli workers have been routinely staffing the border crossing to allow UN officials and Palestinians in need of emergency care in-and-out of Israel.

Just today, the Israeli staff allowed two UN workers to enter Gaza. Israeli officials ignored appeals from journalists that we be allowed to enter at the same time.

Today, the FPA issued a a new statement of protest, calling the Israeli ban "unprecedented."

"Never before have journalists been prevented from doing their work in this way," the FPA said in the statement. "We believe that it is vital that journalists be allowed to find out for themselves what is going on in Gaza."

Considering that Gaza is controlled by Hamas and that Israeli officials have cautioned reporters to be skeptical of the information coming out of Gaza at this time, you would think that Israel would want to allow reporters in to provide an independent view of the conflict.

If the mosque and university buildings were being used to house weapons, as Israel claims, why not let international reporters in to see?

But, in probably the most candid assessment of the situation from an Israeli official, Shlomo Dror, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said last month that they don't particularly like the coverage that comes out of Gaza.

"Where Gaza is concerned, our image will always be bad," Dror said. "When journalists go in it works against us, and when they don't go in it works against us."

The only other possible land route into Gaza is through Egypt, but the Egyptians have given no indication that they are prepared to let reporters into cover the conflict either. Egypt isn't a bastion of press freedom, though one suspects Israel wouldn't want to set its own benchmark for a free press by Egyptian standards.

In the meantime, the volatile conflict continues and the burden of telling the story is falling most heavily on Gaza journalists who are doing an amazing job of sending out video, photos and reports on what is happening - despite Israeli attempts to prevent reporters from covering the air strikes.

For the moment, some of the best reporting is coming from Al Jazeera English and its Gaza-based reporter, Ayman Mohyeldin. You can watch one of his most recent reports below.

Comments

[susan smith]

The term "Shock and Awe" is a play on the word "Shekinah", which means vision of God. The most famous Shekinah apparition comes from Exodus, in the image of the burning bush. The term "Shock and Awe" obviously is an attempt to apply the hideous and brutal aggressions by Israel to God-like, and therefore sacred concepts, and therefore giving itself the seal of divine approval, and being therefore justifiable in the name of God. This is called blasphemy and idolatry. The land does not belong to the Jews, according to the terms of their own Covenant, and all of their aggressions against Palestine, regardless of their presumed form of government structure, regardless of approval by the western countries, are wrong and based on lies. The Palestinians have the inherent right to defend themselves against takeover, and they have the right to defend their land. All of their actions are justifiable. It is the Jews who are recklessly endangering their civilian population, by having them inhabit land that doesn't belong to them. We are watching cold-blooded murder, justified by ongoing lies and terror, and we are doing nothing to stop it. It's time to face the truth of what is happening to Palestine, and to all of us, or we are going to die.

[Bob S.]

Thanks for pursuing this, Dion! Keep pushing but stay safe. The truth will out.

[Steve]

It seems like they are getting better and better with Photoshop doesn't it.

Journalists like you obviously don't want to report the truth but instead help Hamas in the propaganda element in the war.

[Eder of Zion]

Well, one thing for sure: this security guard apparently wasn't up for his job...

And with all respects, mr Dion Nissenbaum, why don't you just howl at the moon? Take the dark side which is as dark as Islam itself.....

[libhomo]

Israel's decision to ban journalists from Gaza shows that this is part of a premeditated ethnic cleansing campaign, not a response to Hamas' pitiful efforts to try to defend Palestine from Israel.

[Julia Hurley]

This is clearly an attempt by Israel to keep the truth about what's going on from being heard. Instead, all that comes out are the lies of the Israeli propaganda machine. Please keep pressuring Israel and thank you for keeping us informed of the reality!

[Steve]

You are just bummed that you are stuck here instead of covering Obama in Hawaii with your other journalist friends.

Yeah, I can see how that could make you upset.

[Ali G]

Dion I am declaring a Fatwah on you.

God Bless USA and Israel!

[Ali G]

"When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons." Golda Meir Former Prime Minister of Israel

[Greg]

Yeah, if he was any good as a reporter he would be in Hawai'i.