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Latest update: 09/01/2009
- GAZA ASSAULT - Israel - Israeli-Palestinian conflict - media
Israeli forces keep firm grip on foreign media
The 2006 conflict in Southern Lebanon changed the way Israeli forces manage the media. Today foreign journalists are treated to internet facilities and have clear access to army spokespeople, but are strictly denied entrance to the Gaza Strip.
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Read the opinions of FRANCE 24's Observers from Gaza to Jerusalem
And find out more on our special report : "Gaza under attack"
It’s time for a ballistics lesson north of the Gaza Strip. An Israeli policeman tells a group of foreign journalists about the dangers of the Palestinian rockets.
“We are the interface with the press,” says Michael Oren, an Israeli army spokesman. “We explain what the army does, what its objectives are. We also talk about the difficulties that the army faces and try to keep you informed about the situation inside Gaza as well as we can.”
There are dozens of foreign journalists around him. They’re still waiting to enter the Palestinian enclave on the other side of the hill.
Without the army’s permission, they will only be able to hear the news from Gaza as reported by the various spokespeople who crisscross the Gaza perimeter.
Lesson drawn from the Second Lebanon War
A few kilometers from there, the Israeli government opened a press centre for foreign journalists with internet access, phones and coffee stands. Spokespeople fluent in several languages are on hand to answer questions from he press.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman explains to journalists why they’re barred from Gaza. “Among the lessons we learned from the second Lebanon war – the 2006 Israeli-Lebanese conflict – we found out that we had to bar completely journalists from covering that conflict in the Gaza Strip,” Oren says. “They would give details about troop positions, moves and other tactic details without meaning to,” he said.
A ban that is not in Israel’s interests
For some journalists, this explanation is not enough. Moreover, it contradicts Israel’s interests.
“It’s a shame for Israel’s reputation because we still get some Gaza news through the footage shot by Palestinian cameramen,” says Claudio Pagliara, a RAI correspondent in Jerusalem.
Claudio’s wishes may come true. The Israeli Supreme Court recently ruled that a small number of foreign journalists should be allowed to enter Gaza.
Note: Because of the high number of user reactions to the Gaza conflict, we are posting only a selection on the site. Please keep your reactions short, relevant and civil. (See our Rules of conduct.)
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European Lecturing
The Israeli Society and the Israeli Army are the most advanced and the most humane in the World. The European lectures to the Jews are hollow and a bit funny,specially when it comes from England and France.
disproportion?
disproportion is to bring 1 Israeli spokesman and 5 others journalist (one of them was from the GUARDIAN ??The most anti Israeli newspaper in this world - The hamas newspaper are more Zionist then the Guardian ) who are just yelling him - This is disproportion!
And the Idiot from newsweek ?? disgusting and rude person !
is it o.k. to call 5 Vs. 1 a press linch?
I've just watched an interesting "debate" on france 24 which adressed the subject that this page reffers to
now im sure that the world press community & espacially the france press community have very determant thoghts about the subject which is at hand especially because it regards their jobs.
so I watched the "debate" & I saw something interesting: Iv'e heard on the news so much about "disproportions" regarding the IDF's response to hamas's rocket lounches attacks. now I ask is having a debate which holds on one side one israeli reserve soldier which had spent most of his life as a cevilian to speak as an IDF spokesman then on the other side 5 people from the worlds press community to speak for the press comunitys side, is that what you call "proportional"? offcourse the polite israeli captain herd everyone who spoke on that "debate" & when he tried to speak he was constantly interupted. there is another name for this kind of a "debate" - it's called a PRESS LINCH
THE UNBALANCE IN YOUR OWN BROADCAST
IF YOU INVITE NEWSWEEK, YOU SHOULD ALSO INVITE TIME !! I STOPPED BUYING NEWSWEEK
A LONG TIME AGO BECAUSE OF THE RUBBISH THEY PUBLISH. CPT. GORDON SHOWED TRUE RESPECT TOWARDS THE PRESS, GIVEN HIS DIFFICULT POSITION, MME CLAUDET AND THE OBVIOUSLY BIASED REPORTER FROM THE INDEPENDENT WERE VERY DISRESPECTFUL. I FIND
THE MEDIA MORE GUILTY THAN THE MILITARIES WHEN IT COMES TO INCITING WAR AND BAD FEELINGS. EUROPEAN REPORTERS HAVE NEVER BEEN BALANCED IN THEIR REPORTING, IT IS MY OBSERVATION OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. SHAME ON THE MEDIA.
I steal your land
I, Israel, take the people's land, kill the people who are on "my" land, make the survivors suffer and when they dare to talk I call them torrorists, attack them indiscriminately, starve them, (say I am fair in the meantime), make sure that no wester media can cover their point of view and sufferings, and I finally say, I am the Victim, loud and clear. Furthermore. I blame any white man who critisizes me of Nazi!, any black man who criticizes me an anti-semite and finally any arab a terroriste!! If I may. I need to congratulate both Israel and the Western media for their wonderful work of avoiding to blame israel for the dayly murders that occur here.. The Media blackout and censorship makes people think that Israel is no less than the Fourth Reich!
The right questions
I'm also surprised by many of the reports coming from the conflict, particularly when Israeli spokespeople are involved. No matter the question, the first sentence is always crammed with "terror organisation... human shields.. backed by Iran... minimising civilian casualties...". Can they not be pulled up on this? Why does someone not ask them why the Israeli cabinet refused an offer to extend the ceasefire to the West Bank on December 23, and why Israel is pointedly blocking any political initiatives in general with Mahmoud Abbas (two years of negotiations, not once have the settlements or Jerusalem been mentioned)? That would have avoided the need for this pointless punishment disguised as a military operation.