Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Foreign Press in Israel Fight Gaza Entry Ban
JERUSALEM - International journalists based in Israel appealed to the country's Supreme Court on Monday to overturn a government decision barring foreign correspondents from entering the Gaza Strip.
The Foreign Press Association filed the court petition against the military's Gaza commander, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit after the government failed to heed a letter signed by heads of the world's largest news organizations calling for the ban to be lifted.
The court petition charged the media ban constitutes "a grave and mortal blow against freedom of the press and other basic rights and gives the unpleasant feeling that the state of Israel has something to hide." It requested an urgent hearing.
The Tel Aviv-based Foreign Press Association represents foreign correspondents working in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Israel has long restricted movement across its border with Gaza, but it closed the area to all but essential supplies on Nov. 5 after an upsurge in Palestinian rocket fire. For the first time, that included a blanket ban on foreign reporters entering the territory.
The government routinely prevents Israeli journalists from entering Gaza because of fears for their safety, but up to now foreign reporters had been permitted in, even during times of heavy fighting.
Since the ban, coverage in Gaza has been largely left to local Palestinian staff and a handful of foreign journalists who entered before the ban took effect, including two Associated Press reporters.
Israel's Defense Ministry says foreign journalists will be allowed in only once Gaza militants stop shooting.
The letter protesting the ban, signed by The AP, Reuters, the New York Times, the BBC, CNN and other major news organizations, was sent last week to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
In responding to the letter, Defense Ministry spokesman Shlomo Dror said Israel was displeased with international media coverage, which he said inflated Palestinian suffering and did not make clear that Israel's measures were in response to Palestinian violence.
- Posted in
6 Comments so far
Show AllGaza blockade 'shuts power plant'
BBC News - 4 hours ago
The only power plant in the Gaza Strip has been closed by energy authorities because they say Israel will not allow the urgent delivery of spare parts.
Israel again seals off Gaza (AFP)
Israel closes Gaza crossings, reporters banned (The Associated Press)
Without electric power the water and sewer plants stop working.
Without proper sanitation the population of Gaza will soon succome to cholera.
Is this genocidal monstrosity what we get from JudeoChristian Values?
When did Mosis and Jesus join the Nazis?
Inflated the suffering of Palestinians, indeed.
SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What do Zimbabwe, Burma, North Korea and Israel have in Common?
They are the ONLY states in the world that deny international media and humanitarian aid workers access.
On November 18, 2008, I and forty seven international ecumenical Christians and other people of faith rolled out of bed before 5 AM to travel from Jerusalem to the Erez Crossing in the Gaza Strip.
We went to stand up as a united people of conscience in NONVIOLENT Solidarity with the people of Gaza and in support of all the NGO’s that have been denied access into the Gaza Strip for over two weeks.
We went in love and for love of all of God’s children;
Be they the oppressed or the oppressors,
Those imprisoned by walls and those who erect them,
Those who are denied clean water and their deniers,
Those whose fears rule their hearts and the heartbroken,
Those whose ideology, greed, apathy, and power blind them to their culpability, responsibilities and obligations.
We went with hope to arouse the consciences of the leaders of the world to seek peace through justice; equal human rights for all.
Some media turned out for the NGO meeting we attended in the parking lot at Erez Crossing-NOT USA media needless to say.
Israel and the USA both signed the Geneva Convention. That makes them BOTH legally, morally and ethically RESPONSIBLE for the 1.5 million open air prisoners of Gaza; 60% are children under the age of 18 years old!
May God have mercy on those who do NOT know what they are doing -BUT, NO DOUBT they KNOW perfectly well and that has got my Irish up and flaming and I will be writing it all out of my system over the next few weeks.
Eileen Fleming, Author, Citizen Journalist and Founder WAWA:
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Producer "30 Minutes With Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu"
So why is the US responsible? I don't buy that one bit. If you want to criticize Israel for this, fine and I think you're right, but the US is not responsible for Gaza under the Geneva Conventions regardless of support given or military supplies sent. This is an Israel-Palestinian problem, not a US-Palestinian problem.
The west and Israel has the God give right to take any land on the planet they want and justify it to only to God
Israel peoples says their God gave them whatever land thy chose because they are Gods chosen people
God will smite any one who sand up against his people, for they alone are chosen, the rest of you none Israelites will just have to suck it up and get by as best you can
"Treat others as you would be.."
"..The government routinely prevents Israeli journalists from entering Gaza because of fears that the truth will exit along with them..."