Israeli officials seized a camera and broadcasting equipment belonging to The Associated Press in southern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the news organization of violating a new media law by providing images to Al Jazeera.
The Qatari satellite channel is among thousands of clients that receive live video feeds from the AP and other news organizations. The AP denounced the move.
香蕉视频直播淭he Associated Press decries in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government to shut down our longstanding live feed showing a view into Gaza and seize AP equipment,香蕉视频直播� said Lauren Easton, vice president of corporate communications at the news organization. 香蕉视频直播淭he shutdown was not based on the content of the feed but rather an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country香蕉视频直播檚 new foreign broadcaster law. We urge the Israeli authorities to return our equipment and enable us to reinstate our live feed immediately so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world.香蕉视频直播�
Officials from the Communications Ministry arrived at the AP location in the southern town of Sderot on Tuesday afternoon and seized the equipment. They handed the AP a piece of paper, signed by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, alleging it was violating the country香蕉视频直播檚 foreign broadcaster law.
Shortly before, the equipment was broadcasting a general view of northern Gaza. The AP complies with Israel香蕉视频直播檚 military censorship rules, which prohibit broadcasts of details like troops movements that could endanger soldiers. The live shot has generally shown smoke rising over the territory.
The seizure followed a verbal order Thursday to cease the live transmission 香蕉视频直播� which the news organization refused to do.
香蕉视频直播淚n accordance with the government decision and the instruction of the communications minister, the communications ministry will continue to take whatever enforcement action is required to limit broadcasts that harm the security of the state,香蕉视频直播� the ministry said in a statement.
Israel香蕉视频直播檚 opposition leader Yair Lapid called the move 香蕉视频直播渁n act of madness.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭his is not Al Jazeera. This is an American news outlet,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭his government acts as if it has decided to make sure at any cost that Israel will be shunned all over the world.香蕉视频直播�
Israeli officials used the law to close down the offices of the Qatar-based broadcaster on May 5 and confiscated the channel香蕉视频直播檚 equipment, banned its broadcasts, and blocked its websites.
At the time, media groups warned of the serious implications for press freedom in the country since the law gives Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who is a member of the hard-right flank of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu香蕉视频直播檚 Likud Party, wide leeway to enforce it against other media.
香蕉视频直播淲ith this decision, Israel joins a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station,香蕉视频直播� the Foreign Press Association in Israel, which represents dozens of international news outlets operating in the country and the Palestinian territories, said earlier this month. 香蕉视频直播淎nd the government may not be done. The prime minister has the authority to target other foreign media that he deems to be 香蕉视频直播榓cting against the state.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
香蕉视频直播淭his is a dark day for the media. This is a dark day for democracy,香蕉视频直播� it said.
Israel has long had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias against the country, and Netanyahu has called it a 香蕉视频直播渢error channel香蕉视频直播� that spreads incitement.
Al Jazeera is one of the few international news outlets that has remained in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting scenes of airstrikes and overcrowded hospitals and accusing Israel of massacres.
The war in Gaza began with a Hamas attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to Gaza香蕉视频直播檚 Health Ministry, which doesn香蕉视频直播檛 distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.
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The Associated Press
