Palestine: journalists arrested by Israeli forces
The NUJ has condemned arrests by Israeli forces and attacks by Israeli settlers against journalists, including in the West Bank.
Heidi Levine, a journalist with The Washington Post, was assaulted by Israeli settlers in the presence of Israeli police on 16 October. Jaafar Ishtayeh, Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer, was also attacked by armed Israeli settlers while reporting attacks against Palestinian olive farmers in the occupied West Bank.
Journalist Marta Vidal was detained while covering the olive harvest in the village of Al-Lubban Al-Gharbi in the occupied West Bank.
Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general secretary, said:
“The repeated arrests, assaults and intimidation of journalists in the occupied West Bank are part of a systematic attempt to silence those bearing witness to events on the ground. By targeting journalists, the Israeli forces are attacking not only press freedom, but also the public's right to know. We will not accept a situation in which reporting the truth becomes a crime. Israel must end this repression and guarantee journalists' right to work freely and safely.”
On 3 November, Abed Abu Shehadeh, a Palestinian journalist, was detained by Israeli police and the country’s internal security service, Shin Bet, on allegations of being in contact with a foreign agent. He was detained for five days before eventually being released without charge. The NUJ repeats the IFJ’s recognition of the arrest as “unjustified”, calling for an end to the intimidation and harassment of journalists.