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Last update - 17:00 07/08/2008
VIDEO / Al-Jazeera admits to 'unethical' behavior over Kuntar party
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: israel, samir kuntar 

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 director general, 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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(Footage courtesy of MEMRI.org)

The boycott threat was issued by the director of the GPO, Danny Seaman, in response to a program broadcast from Lebanon that covered the welcome-home festivities for Kuntar. In it, the head of Al Jazeera's Beirut office, Ghassan bin Jiddo, heaped praises on Kuntar, for instance by calling him a "pan-Arab hero."

Kuntar was convicted of the murder of four Israelis, including two children, during a terrorist attack in Nahariya in 1979. He was released last month as part of a deal with Hezbollah. In exchange, Israel received the bodies of kidnapped soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.

Bin Jiddo is known to be sympathetic to Hezbollah, and he was even awarded Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's first interview of the Second Lebanon War. A few weeks ago, he was interviewed on a Syrian television station and said that he would never agree to interview Israelis, even though he knows that Al Jazeera's official policy is to interview Israelis.

This is not the first time Israel has protested Al Jazeera's coverage, but for its protests to result in an apology is unusual.

Related articles:
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  • Israel to boycott Al-Jazeera TV, claiming incitement to terror
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      1.   The term "Al Jazeera`s ethics" is an oxymoron 03:47  |  McQueen 07/08/08
      2.   So they won`t do it again until another child-killer is released 03:48  |  McQueen 07/08/08
      3.   Fighting back works 04:00  |  Slibovitz 07/08/08
      4.   Not surprising 04:17  |  Al 07/08/08
      5.   Kuntar -- a "pan-Arab hero" 04:21  |  Fish 07/08/08
      6.   I don`t get it... 05:06  |  Marni 07/08/08
      7.   al jazeera - mouthpiece of terrorism 05:31  |  Arie 07/08/08
      8.   Fake apology 06:08  |  judith 07/08/08
      9.   Al Jazeera Apology Not Accepted 06:12  |  Shepherd 07/08/08
      10.   Aljazeera should stay objective 06:37  |  Sammy 07/08/08
      11.   Tell me who are your heroes and I`ll tell you who you are 07:17  |  Dan 07/08/08
      12.   wow- they apologised 07:21  |  ka 07/08/08
      13.   This Critic Gives Al Jazeera a thumbs up for 07:26  |  Brad 07/08/08
      14.   AL Jazeera the voice of "moderate Arabs".Celebrates baby killer 07:47  |  PETER SM 07/08/08
      15.   Al Jazera is my second channel after AL Manar :) 07:57  |  Bilal 07/08/08
      16.   Now Al Jazeera`s squirming 08:03  |  Conroy 07/08/08
      17.   With all due respect to the GPO...others spoke out as well... 08:09  |  Ariel 07/08/08
      18.   al jazeera coverage 08:18  |  sam 07/08/08
      19.   Countries Need To Ban Al Jazeera From Their Airways 08:20  |  Dish It Out 07/08/08
      20.   As Long As Al-Jazeera Continues It`s Policy Of... 08:22  |  Yosemite 07/08/08
      21.   To Shepard 08:46  |  Curious 07/08/08
      22.   Sickening to praise a murderer 10:07  |  Laila 07/08/08
      23.   biased station 10:09  |  whowho 07/08/08
      24.   #4 Question to Mr. Sammy from Amman 10:11  |  Moishe Schwanz 07/08/08
      25.   Al-Jazeera:unethical 10:15  |  Ralph 07/08/08
      26.   For Al-Jazeera... we`re not convinced... 10:21  |  Esther 07/08/08
      27.   Don?t believe to voice of hate and provocation 10:26  |  e.m Jordan is Palse 07/08/08
      28.   Fake Apology 10:38  |  Mohamad from Lebanon 07/08/08
      29.   NO REASON FOR APOLOGY 10:44  |  indrajaya 07/08/08
      30.   Re: #4 Sammy 10:44  |  Noah 07/08/08
      31.   KHANFAR MUST BE REPLACE BY SOMEONE ELSE 11:03  |  indrajaya 07/08/08
      32.   Mohamad from Lebanon,i agree 11:37  |  mark hammond 07/08/08
      33.   Leftie Esther from TA who was hailing Kuntar`s release now plays 12:10  |  Absolute Sweden 07/08/08
      34.   To Bilal 12:36  |  Muhamad 07/08/08
      35.   #31 Question to indrajaya 12:37  |  Moishe Swanz 07/08/08
      36.   Moishe Schwanz 12:38  |  Walid 07/08/08
      37.   Many Arabs understand the awkward ... 12:57  |  Edith 07/08/08
      38.   Mohammad from Lebanon 12:58  |  Walid 07/08/08
      39.   How many Israeli child killers are still loose 13:09  |  George 07/08/08
      40.   I know this journal and I´m sure its total biased like all arab´s 13:12  |  JP 07/08/08
      41.   I know this journal and I´m sure its total biased like all arab´s 13:12  |  JP 07/08/08
      42.   Thank you Haaretz, this time at least Lakshmi has been removed 13:27  |  Jew- and Bookburner 07/08/08
      43.   STAY AWAY FROM TROUBLE KUNTAR 13:47  |  indrajaya 07/08/08
      44.   unethical cover of cuntar release 13:48  |  sasun rafi 07/08/08
      45.   No matter what, Al-J is an Arab news station after all. 13:52  |  Harvey 07/08/08
      46.   Al-Jazeera apologizes 14:02  |  Julian 07/08/08
      47.   COME NOW, LADIES AND GENTS? 14:06  |  eric 07/08/08
      48.   The general belief in Lebanon is that Kuntar was framed. 14:07  |  lakshmi 07/08/08
      49.   Al Durah 14:09  |  Juan 07/08/08
      50.   Re: Brad, legitimate claims 14:45  |  Lobo08 07/08/08
      51.   Appolagy is fine but... 14:50  |  Lobo08 07/08/08
      52.   Post 48 of Lakshmi reads exactly as her then post 18 which 14:56  |  Jew- and Bookburner 07/08/08
      53.   Unconvincing? 15:11  |  Murray 07/08/08
      54.   Release of Murderer 15:25  |  Steven 07/08/08
      55.   Who needs their apology... 16:08  |  Dan 07/08/08
      56.   Lobo 08 and obstacles to peace 16:15  |  ZISD 07/08/08
      57.   Absolute 16:20  |  Kimmo 07/08/08
      58.   After watching birthday video, I became nauseated... 16:23  |  bat yam 07/08/08
      59.   Indrajaya`s anti jewish tyrad 16:56  |  Ravi 07/08/08
      60.   #15 bilal beruit 17:01  |  John Allen 07/08/08
      61.   Sad commentary on a sick society 17:07  |  Gilles 07/08/08
      62.   #59 Ravil in India. 17:19  |  John Allen 07/08/08
      63.   Understanding murder, madness & morals. 17:34  |  common sense 07/08/08
      64.   Credibility check 18:06  |  Natallie Durson 07/08/08
      65.   Watch Al-Jazeera, Watch BBC, but know their slant 18:26