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Last update - 17:36 18/11/2008
Al-Jazeera apologizes for 'unethical' coverage of Kuntar release
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Al-Jazeera, Israel 

The Al Jazeera television station admitted Wednesday that its coverage of Israel's release of convicted Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar violated the station's own code of ethics. The admission came in response to a threat by Israel's Government Press Office to boycott the satellite channel unless it apologized.

In an official letter, a copy of which was obtained by Haaretz, Al Jazeera's general director, Khanfar Wadah, wrote that "elements of the program" broadcast in Kuntar's honor on the night of Saturday, July 19, "violated [the station's] Code of Ethics," and he "regards these violations as very serious."

He also said he had ordered the channel's programming director to take steps to ensure that such an incident does not recur.
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Israel said on Wednesday it would no longer assist Al-Jazeera because of what it said was a televised party hosted by the influential Arabic television station for Lebanese prisoner and convicted child killer Samir Kuntar, freed by Israel last month.

The head of Israel's Government Press Office (GPO) said Al-Jazeera would get only minimal services until it provided a "reasonable answer" about a program which featured a birthday party for Kuntar, who spent 29 years in an Israeli jail for a 1979 attack in which five Israelis were killed.

During the program, produced and hosted by Al Jazeera, Kuntar uses a scimitar to slice a cake with his picture on it, while fireworks are set off around him and a band plays Arabic music.


(Footage courtesy of MEMRI.org)

In a video of the 'party' translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) and posted on their website this week, Kuntar is seen pointing to a picture painted on the cake of he and Hezbollah General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah taken after his release from prison, saying "Me and the Secretary General - the most beautiful picture of me ever taken."

Earlier in the clip, Kuntar is seen holding a scimitar the show's host calls "the sword of the Arabs". As he lowers the sword to cut the cake, the TV anchor implores him, "cut on the side, don't cut on the picture."

According to the subtitles on the clip, the photo montage on the cake also includes a picture of former Tanzim commander Marwan Barghouti, serving life in prison in Israel for his role in terrorist attacks on Israeli citizens.

An Al-Jazeera official at the channel's headquarters in Qatar had no immediate comment. Al-Jazeera has a bureau in Jerusalem and in Ramallah, in the West Bank.

Kuntar was among five Lebanese guerrillas freed last month as part of a prisoner swap between Israel and Hezbollah.

"I don't think it is appropriate for the state of Israel and the Government Press Office to keep extending the services they give them (Al Jazeera)," GPO director Daniel Seaman said.

Seaman said the program "did not only cross a professional line, but a moral line".

He said Al Jazeera's existing press cards would not be revoked, but that without his office's assistance, it could take months instead of days for its personnel to get Israeli entry visas and work permits needed for press accreditation.

Israeli officials have often accused Al Jazeera of biased reporting of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a charge it has denied.

Related articles:
  • VIDEO / Back in Lebanon, Kuntar vows to continue path of Mughniya
  • VIDEO: Israel posts clip on YouTube describing Kuntar's 1979 attack
  • Abbas congratulates Kuntar's family for killer's release
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      1.   Freedom of Arab media doesn`t exist in any Arab country 19:39  |  Genuine Tosefta 06/08/08
      2.   well done. 19:45  |  paulo2005 06/08/08
      3.   Differentiation Counts 19:46  |  Doubleclick 06/08/08
      4.   Who is sicker? Those hosting party or those who released kuntar? 19:49  |  bat yam 06/08/08
      5.   Carl you miss the point 19:50  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/08/08
      6.   Happy Birthday Cuntar 20:12  |  utagawa 06/08/08
      7.   That is their view and Israel did release Kuntar! 20:20  |  Sens 06/08/08
      8.   Do I see Kuntar Kissing Perez at the end?? 20:27  |  Al 06/08/08
      9.   Al-Jazeera - a mix of MTV2 and CNN 20:33  |  Richard S 06/08/08
      10.   Margie in Tel Aviv WHAT DID YOU EXPECT 20:40  |  Fred 06/08/08
      11.   #7 who is "you" 21:30  |  Bronxite10 06/08/08
      12.   Happy Birthday O` true hero of Islam! 21:41  |  Rory 06/08/08
      13.   Why help them at all? 22:00  |  Mike 06/08/08
      14.   ? for Doubleclick and Utagawa 22:37  |  Milo 06/08/08
      15.   Living on borrowed time 23:11  |  Mike 06/08/08
      16.   This Shows How Screwed Up Hezbollah Is. 23:13  |  Shepherd 06/08/08
      17.   This Shows How Screwed Up Hezbollah Is. 23:13  |  Shepherd 06/08/08
      18.   `Convicted`? Zionist propaganda! 23:59  |  lakshmi 06/08/08
      19.   IT WAS ISRAEL WHO THREW THE PARTY FOR CUNTAR 00:09  |  DAV zee 07/08/08
      20.   Backfire 00:15  |  Eric Wilson 07/08/08
      21.   `birthday party` for Samir 00:15  |  Ralph 07/08/08
      22.   Why would Al-Jazeera NOT lick Kuntar`s ***s? 00:26  |  Mike 07/08/08
      23.   Proof there are no moderates 00:37  |  Brod 07/08/08
      24.   Hezzy didn`t "win" Kuntar`s release - they purchased it 00:43  |  Conroy 07/08/08
      25.   Aljazeera is a terrorist network 00:56  |  americans know that 07/08/08
      26.   Milo, Not killing, Cold blooded murder of a toddler 01:00  |  Rob AA 07/08/08
      27.   lakshmi Bashed in the head to death in a "cross fire"? 01:04  |  Rob AA 07/08/08
      28.   How professional!!! 01:17  |  Brad 07/08/08
      29.   Convicted???? 02:56  |  Jaed 07/08/08
      30.   No more birthday parties... 03:15  |  Maureen Ann 07/08/08
      31.   The hero of Islam 03:36  |  Dr Noam 07/08/08
      32.   #4 is my number 1 03:55  |  Michael 07/08/08
      33.   AL Jazeera the voice of the "moderate" Arabs.Scimitar in hand!! 03:58  |  PETER SM 07/08/08
      34.   STAY AWAY FROM TROUBLE KUNTAR 04:07  |  indrajaya 07/08/08
      35.   LAKSHMI Hero of Arabia Kunter Smashed Einat`s skull 04:36  |  PETER SM 07/08/08
      36.   Aren`t we a democracy? 04:41  |  Sarah 07/08/08
      37.   Much like the Israeli Biased Media in the US 09:18  |  Tupac 07/08/08
      38.   A birthday party for a child killer 09:31  |  Steve the Pals. 07/08/08
      39.   And where were reps of Haaaretz? 09:34  |  ka 07/08/08
      40.   IDF KILLED AP JOURNALIST DELIBERATELY AND DIDN`T APOLOGIZE 09:37  |  indrajaya 07/08/08
      41.   TUPAC.This was an expression of support for Kuntar- Arab hero 09:40  |  PETER SM 07/08/08
      42.   #18 Lakshmi, propaganda is... 10:06  |  Noah 07/08/08
      43.   STEVE the Pals.Just listen to the Al Jazeera fawning all over him 11:22  |  PETER SM 07/08/08
      44.   This is the "moderate" Al Jazeera.The difference between this 11:29  |  PETER SM 07/08/08
      45.   Lakshmi (18) I remember well a post in a former talkback here 12:38  |  Jew- and Bookburner 07/08/08
      46.   Israel releases a Murder from Justice 14:06  |  Steven 07/08/08
      47.   Governments that do not Bring Justice 14:15  |  Steven 07/08/08
      48.   where is the logic? 14:29  |  B 07/08/08
      49.   Boycott the arab stations anyway ! 14:45  |  Benjamina 07/08/08
      50.   I rejoiced at this video 17:36  |  Raed Kami 07/08/08
      51.   #50 19:25  |  Nemesis 07/08/08
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