Adalah to Defense Minister: Group of Palestinian Arab Journalists from Israel Must be Permitted to Enter Gaza for First-Hand Reporting
On 21 May 2009, Adalah sent an urgent letter to the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, and the Commander of the Southern Division of the Israeli army, Yoav Galant, demanding that they immediately issue permits a to a group of Palestinian Arab journalists citizens of Israel to enter the Gaza Strip, to witness first-hand the impact of the recent military attacks on Gaza. Adalah further demanded that clear, official criteria be promulgated for the issuance of entry permits into Gaza.
The journalists previously applied for entry permits in order to report on the situation in Gaza due to the military operation “Cast Lead”, launched by Israel in December 2008. Some of the journalists applied during operation “Cast Lead” but were all rejected on various security pretexts. Immediately following the operation, the group filed similar applications, along with other journalists, but have yet to receive any response, even two months later. The I'lam Media Center in Nazareth is coordinating the visit.
In the letter, Adalah Attorney Fatmeh El-‘Ajou argued that rejecting the applications submitted by the journalists is a blatant violation of the freedom of the press to cover events in Gaza, and of the journalists’ right to freedom of movement and to express their opinion, as well as the public’s right for information. Attorney El-‘Ajou further contended that the sweeping ban imposed by the Israeli authorities, without reviewing each application individually, is illegal, even if the reason for doing so is a “security reason.” In addition, it is irrational to violate the right of journalists to employment, freedom of movement, and the principle of freedom of the press on such a general pretext as “security concerns.” This total ban is particularly egregious as all of the journalists in question have made clear that they were willing to accept responsibility for the risks associated with entering Gaza. The fact that the Israeli authorities granted permits to enter Gaza to foreign journalists and foreign staff of international aid organizations, and to a group of medical doctors with Israeli passports on several occasions, during and after the attacks on Gaza, raises suspicions that the rejection in the case of Arab journalists from Israel is politically motivated rather than motivated by security concerns, Adalah argued.
