fyi

IFJ Protest As Reporters Are Injured; Israeli Media Ban Promotes
"Ignorance, Rumour and Fear"


The International Federation of Journalists today called for Israel to
lift its ban on reporters covering the military intervention in the West
Bank town of Ramallah, warning that censorship in the conflict will not
bring peace "but only lead to more ignorance, rumour and fear."


After a violent weekend in which at least three reporters were injured,
a Palestinian radio station was take over and a journalist alleged
Israeli troops used him as a "human shield" in a gun battle, the IFJ
says media staff are in more danger than ever.


"People who speak of democracy and then impose censorship to avoid
public scrutiny make a mockery of the language of peace and human
rights," said Aidan White, General Secretary of the IFJ, the world's
largest journalists group, which represents journalists in both the
Palestinian and Israeli communities.


"The whole world is watching the situation nervously and journalists
must be free to report," said White, "If media are not allowed to work
and while rumours circulate of summary executions, mass detentions and
other violations of human rights then the suspicion will be that Israel
is engaged in a media cover-up."


The IFJ says that both sides in the conflict have made the media a
battleground. "We have many reports of indiscipline among Israeli
soldiers in dealing with media staff, but poor levels of professionalism
in Palestinian media continue to enrage political leaders and add to
fears that more attacks on media will follow," said Aidan White.


The IFJ says that a Palestinian freelance cameraman, Carlos Handel,
working for Egyptian Nile TV was shot in the mouth on Friday while
travelling through an area where Israelis and Palestinians were
fighting. He was taken to a hospital in serious condition. A second
cameraman, who was also riding in the van, suffered a less serious
wound.


On Sunday, Anthony Shadid, a Washington-based Boston Globe reporter, was
shot in the shoulder while standing in the doorway of a Ramallah shop.
Shadid was said to be conscious and in stable condition in a private
Arab hospital in Ramallah.


The IFJ protest follows the decision by Israel to declare Ramallah a
closed military zone and to remove journalists. The Foreign Press
Association in Israel also issued a protest, saying media must be
allowed to cover a major story.


In another incident media reported that a journalist from Dubai TV said
that Israeli troops entered a building in which he and some other
journalists were working. He said the Israelis searched the journalists
and that he himself was then used as a human shield as the Israeli
soldiers went from room to room, searching for Palestinians. But the
Israelis rebutted the allegation. They said that they escorted the
journalist, Maher Shalabi, "outside and to another place as he wished.''



Violence erupted in September 2000, destroying peace negotiations and
helping bring the hardline Sharon to power. In the past 18 months, 1,269
people have been killed on the Palestinian side and on 416 on the
Israeli side. Four journalists have been killed.


The latest Israeli invasion follows a string of Palestinian attacks that
killed 30 Israelis over three days. Israeli soldiers are accused by
Palestinian of closing down media and preventing circulation of
newspapers. Israeli troops entered the offices of the Voice of Palestine
radio and forced it to stop broadcasting on Saturday, said Yousef Qazaz,
the general manager of the radio. Military sources confirmed the report.



Palestinians also accused Israeli forces of capturing a television
station in Ramallah and using it to broadcast pornography. A United
States consulate employee who was in Ramallah confirmed to reporters
that the programs were on the air. The Israeli army said soldiers
interrupted the station's broadcasting but had not substituted
pornography for the usual programming.


"This is a dirty and brutal war in which journalism is a victim," said
Aidan White, "Palestinian media are being prevented from functioning
while, at the same time, the less-than-subtle and partisan language of
some Palestinian journalism tests the limits of professionalism."
Palestinian gunmen and suicide bombers killed by Israeli forces are
called "heroes" even when they were attacking civilians. Footage is
often horrifyingly graphic. Mutilated bodies are shown without
censorship. Often coverage exhibits "hatefully anti-Israel sentiment."
"Media intolerance only makes matters worse," said Aidan White. The IFJ,
which carried out a mission to the region six weeks ago, says that
Israel must lift the obstacles to free reporting and end all
intimidation of Palestinian journalists and media. "The cycle of
censorship and violence must end and professionalism restored on all
sides."


Further information: Aidan White (General Secretary) + 32 478 25 86 69 /
Sarah de Jong (Human Rights Officer) + 32 497 707 685
The IFJ represents more than 500,000 journalists in 103 countries of the
world.
  http://www.ifj.org/publications/press/pr/322.html
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