Digital Apartheid: Israeli Targeting of Journalists

The Geneva-based rights group said in a statement that the violations included the targeting and wounding of 22 Palestinian journalists using rubber-coated metal bullets, sponge grenades, gas bombs, stun grenades, pepper gas and beatings. According to the statement, the Israeli army arrested and detained more than seven Palestinian journalists and sentenced five. The committee said it has also documented more than 20 cases where Israeli occupation forces had banned and obstructed the work of journalists, preventing a journalist from travelling, storming a journalist's home, and confiscating equipment, vehicles, mobile phones and press cards.

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continue the systematic attacks against local and international media personnel working in the occupied Palestinian territory despite the protection that journalists, as civilians, enjoy under international law. IOF grave violations against journalists include threats to their personal safety and attack on their equipment with live and rubber bullets, physical and emotional assault, restrictions on the freedom of movement, bombardment of their office and other violations demonstrating a well-planned scheme to isolate the oPt from the rest of the world and to provide cover-up for crimes against civilians, and impose a narrative opposite to the reality on the ground.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called on the Israeli authorities to investigate every incident to make sure all journalists can carry out their duties without being targeted or harassed. In the 47th session of the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva, speaking via video link, Jennifer Robinson, legal counsel to the IFJ and its affiliate the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) urged Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur, to act on their complaint submitted last December detailing the systematic targeting of journalists on behalf of four named victims – Ahmed Abu Hussein, Yaser Murtaja, Muath Armaneh and Nedal Eshtayet – who were killed or maimed by Israeli snipers while covering demonstrations in Gaza. All were wearing clearly marked PRESS vests at the time they were shot.
The IFJ has repeatedly condemned the deliberate targeting of journalists and media facilities by Israel. At least 46 journalists have been killed since 2000 and no one has been held to account.

According to a recent report by the I’lam - Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development and Research released in May, Israeli security forces are responsible for most of the attacks against journalists and media workers who were covering civilian demonstrations in the last few weeks in Arab Israeli cities as well as Jerusalem, despite them being clearly identified as media workers. The report documents 13 incidents where journalists were attacked, harassed or injured. 11 of these cases were committed by Israeli security forces.

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