LONDON: The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday that it was “deeply alarmed” by what it described as an escalating wave of violations against Palestinian and foreign journalists in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The group urged Israeli authorities to halt the practices, investigate attacks on members of the press, hold those responsible accountable and allow journalists to work without intimidation.
“Israel’s actions against Palestinian and foreign journalists are increasing in frequency, demonstrating a clear lack of internal and external accountability,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director.
“These repeated incidents of intimidation, detention, deportation and refusal of entry reveal that Israel continues to operate with complete disregard for international laws preventing retaliation against journalists.”
The appeal followed a series of incidents in Israel and the West Bank.
Earlier this month, Israeli forces targeted two journalists covering the Palestinian olive harvest in the occupied West Bank. On Oct. 8, Portuguese journalist Ribeiro, a correspondent for the independent outlet Fumaca, was arrested in Rantis, northwest of Ramallah, and deported the following day.
Ribeiro told CPJ that he identified himself as a journalist and showed his press credentials before being taken to a military base, blindfolded and threatened with physical assault. He said international journalists had been removed so Israeli authorities could continue what he described as an “ethnic cleansing project.”
Two days later, Israeli troops fired rubber bullets during clashes involving settlers near Ramallah, striking Palestinian photojournalist Issam Al-Rimawi, who said he was wearing an identifiable “Press” vest at the time.
This attack follows similar incidents against journalists covering the olive harvest in the West Bank. Israeli settlers attacked AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh on Oct. 6, and Israeli authorities detained journalists Mohammad Abed and Mohammad Atiq later that day.
On Monday, Channel 4 correspondent Secunder Kermani said he was initially refused entry to Israel and briefly detained at Ben-Gurion Airport before the decision was reversed. He said border officials asked whether he believed Israel was committing genocide in Gaza and whether Hamas and Hezbollah were terrorist organizations.
On Sunday, Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry said German-based journalist Serena Bilanceri had been denied a work visa on its recommendation because of her “anti-Zionist” views and past reporting calling for sanctions against Israel. The ministry said the decision was made under Israel’s Entry Law and as part of an arrangement for sharing recommendations with the Population and Immigration Authority.
Her publisher rejected the allegation, saying Bilanceri had “at no point called for a boycott of the State of Israel” and criticized Israel for using legitimate criticism of its actions in the occupied West Bank and Gaza as a pretext to restrict press freedom.
In June, the CPJ documented at least six other cases in which foreign journalists were denied entry to Israel or the Palestinian territories, or had their travel authorizations revoked. In several cases, authorities cited the journalists’ reporting or public statements, including their use of terms such as “apartheid” and “genocide.”
The Foreign Press Association said on Monday that it was aware of other cases over the past year in which journalists had been turned back at the border or had their entry permits revoked.
“There is evidence to suggest that they were denied entry or deported on the basis that their reporting was deemed to be unfavorable toward Israel,” the association said, calling on the government to halt a practice it said was incompatible with press freedom.
In May, Haaretz reported that Israeli police were systematically reviewing foreign journalists’ work and using those assessments to recommend whether they should be allowed into the country.