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Last update - 10:10 23/11/2008 Open Gaza to media coverage By Haaretz Editorial Tags: Israel news, UN, Gaza UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon was among those who lent their voices to the international protest against Israel's tightening siege on the Gaza Strip. This past weekend, the heads of the world's most important media organizations joined the group, protesting in a letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert against the closure of the Strip to international journalists. "We are gravely concerned about the prolonged and unprecedented denial of access to the Gaza Strip for the international media, [which contradicts] the spirit of Israel's long-standing commitment to a free press," said the letter, which bears the signatures of the chiefs of international news agencies, the presidents of important television networks and the executive editor of The New York Times. In response, the Defense Ministry said the closure of the Strip will be lifted once the rocket fire ceases, and that the international coverage of events in Gaza is unfair toward Israel. The Gaza Strip has been sealed off from the world's press for the past two weeks. The closure comes on top of the two-year-old ban on Israeli journalists from entering Gaza. The lone exception is Haaretz correspondent Amira Hass, who reached Gaza a few days ago by sea. The denial of entry to Israeli journalists was met with not one protest, and when Defense Minister Ehud Barak was asked about the subject a few weeks ago, he did not even know there was a ban in force. It is worth remembering that not only the army is entrusted to do its job, but journalists as well. It would behoove Israel's top defense officials to be wary of harming the media's ability and freedom to operate, a fundamental requirement in any democracy. Advertisement If closing off the Gaza Strip to Israeli coverage can be excused by security considerations, then shutting out foreign journalists is an act of punishment that gives Israel and her democracy a bad name. Freedom of the press is freedom of the press, and any infringement on it is grave. To serve their function sufficiently, representatives of the Israeli and international press must be in Gaza, just like in any other conflict region around the world. There is no way to cover the events in the Strip without free access to it. Journalists and those who dispatch them can and must take responsibility for their well-being, exactly as they do in every other war zone and conflict area in the world. Journalism is at times a dangerous profession, but no less dangerous is the darkening of a section of a country or a country itself, and preventing free press coverage there. The Israel Press Council, journalist associations, editors, writers, and like them, media consumers in Israel do not have to reconcile with the curbing of a free press. They must raise their voices in protest. The heads of the defense establishment are called upon to immediately lift the media closure. Neither the content of media coverage - whether it is interpreted as favorable to Israel or not - nor the nature of the regime in power in Gaza - whether Fatah or Hamas - nor the level of risk to journalists should be a factor influencing journalists' ability to enter the Strip. A Gaza Strip closed to media coverage harms Israel's image and endangers the character of its polity more than any negative article written about it. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Trailblazer Haula Abu-Bakar named first Arab female professor in Israel. Hills of hostility A stranger coming to Hebron Saturday would be confused.   1.   THROUGH Gaza! These parasites use &abuse Israel,including CNN 11:18  |  PETER SM 23/11/08   2.   Journalists in Gaza have the life span of an adult mayfly 11:19  |  Natallie Durson 23/11/08   3.   NATALIE Journalist wearing suicide vest,very short span message. 11:39  |  PETER SM 23/11/08   4.   Nutalie 12:15  |  Linichka 23/11/08   5.   People should ban Israeli officials from their countries... 12:31  |  Dutch 23/11/08   6.   Media coverage of Gaza 15:05  |  Katharina 23/11/08   7.   Wrong Haaretz, a suggestion 16:35  |  rich 23/11/08   8.   Self-serving twaddle 16:57  |  Softwalker 23/11/08   9.   There is going to be another revolution in the US 17:25  |  Dutch 23/11/08   10.   news coverage in the Gaza Strip 18:44  |  Mary Jo 23/11/08   11.   Journalists Ban in Gaza 18:51  |  Fredy Ross 23/11/08   12.   Journalists not Quislings 18:56  |  Just D. Facts 23/11/08   13.   Go through Egypt.BBC fits the news to their recipe 19:49  |  PETER SM 23/11/08   14.   Arabs have enough propagandists 19:59  |  Frank 23/11/08   15.   Shameful policies - desperation setting in? 20:34  |  sh 23/11/08   16.   Please Publish this time Haaretz:When human life looses all value 20:48  |  Free Pal 23/11/08   17.   The TRUE haaretz 20:49  |  Arie 23/11/08   18.   No one is keeping "journalists" out of gaza 20:50  |  Arie 23/11/08   19.   Just haaretz reiterating its owners mantra 20:51  |  Arie 23/11/08   20.   Media Blackout 07:25  |  Timna 24/11/08   21.   Well called Hareetz 09:50  |  Al Khansa 24/11/08   22.   Why? 14:30  |  Marwan 24/11/08

Read & React Yossi Sarid: Is Shas' Rabbi Ovadia Yosef also an ass? Responses: 24 Amir Oren: Peace may come down to this - Obama or Bibi? Responses: 11 IDF: Retaking Gaza will cost Israel NIS 17 million a day Responses: 75 Report: Gaza militants agree to cease rocket fire if Israel opens crossings Responses: 45 Poll: 70% of Israeli Arab women think slaps are not domestic abuse Responses: 32 More Headlines 14:07 Israel opens Gaza border to let in humanitarian aid 13:39 IDF: Retaking Gaza would cost NIS 17 million a day 14:03 Report: Iran dismantles spy network allegedly linked to Mossad 11:04 Aide: Ex-IDF chief did not call for Ahmadinejad to be killed 13:29 Settler leader: Hebron evacuation will be met with force greater than Amona 12:34 Meretz hires Obama e-team, as Knesset campaigns go online 14:00 VIDEO / How much foreign policy experience does Clinton actually have? 12:38 'Scrubs' star Zach Braff falls in love with Tel Aviv 13:49 Iran: If polled, Britons would say Israel is greatest Mideast threat 13:39 900 Palestinian troops to deploy in Bethlehem ahead of Christmas 11:46 Last supper: Bush and Olmert to dine together at White House 12:23 Ben Gurion Airport told to prepare plan for green flying 14:27 Egyptian police kill African migrant along border with Israel 12:31 VIDEO / Jordan's Queen Rania wins YouTube Visionary Award 02:28 Poll: 70% of Israeli Arab women think slaps are not domestic abuse 05:32 Soldier jailed for yawning during Rabin ceremony given pardon, early release 05:26 VIDEO / Are half of Israel's companies about to go broke? Previous Editions Select Day 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov 17 nov 16 nov 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov 11 nov 10 nov

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