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Last update - 00:37 01/01/2009
Tensions soar between Israeli UN delegation, Al-Jazeera
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel News, Al-Jazeera, UN 

The ongoing tension between the Israeli delegation to the United Nations and the Al Jazeera bureau at the international organization headquarters has reached new heights recently.

The Arab network's chief UN correspondent, Khaled Dawoud, has accused the Israeli delegation of discriminatory policies and harassment. The Israeli diplomats, for their part, have accused Dawoud of disruptive behavior and of exploiting press conferences and events with Israeli officials as a podium to bash Israel.

UN sources have expressed concern that the overt hostility between the network and Israel during January's Operation Cast Lead might be repeated. The Israeli consulate in New York has since received several complaint letters from Dawoud, whose "pugnacious language raised a few eyebrows," consulate sources said.
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Dawoud complained that he was treated unfairly comparing to other New York-based reporters, and that the spokeswoman of the mission, Mirit Cohen, prevented him from participating in a Q&A session with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman after his meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, whereas the representative of the Arab network Al Hura was permitted to ask the minister a question.

According to Israeli sources, another Al-Jazeera reporter, Moeed Ahmad, took advantage of an event organized by the Israeli mission to stage a defamatory presentation about Israel Defense Forces operations in Gaza.

David Saranga, the Consul for Media and Public Affairs, who chaired the conference, protested Ahmad's "exploitation of a professional event for anti-Israel incitement."

Saranga wrote to UN Ambassador Gabriela Shalev following Dawoud's complaint letter, in which he said that "Al-Jazeera reporters sometimes forget that their job is to cover the ongoing happenings in a fair and unbiased manner. We'll be happy to cooperate with the network but will not agree to turn this cooperation into a fig leaf for Israel bashing."

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      1.   For once (and this is rare), I agree with the Israeli delegation. 00:46  |  Magnus K 01/01/09
      2.   "Anti-Israel incitement." Poor Israel... 00:01  |  Maureen Ann 01/01/09
      3.   Send Moshe Kedar from Bar Ilan Uni to NY .He closed the mouth 00:15  |  Absolute Sweden 01/01/09
      4.   Israeli Diplomats Are Not used 2 Q Other than the Type of FoxNews 00:22  |  Monitor 01/01/09
      5.   israeli way of diplomacy 00:39  |  Tony Silver 01/01/09
      6.   There`s viiolent jihad and then there`s stealth jihad 00:40  |  Akiva P 01/01/09
      7.   Israel in Bizarro World 00:22  |  Lee Kaplan 01/01/09
      8.   Go Aljazeera tv. 00:36  |  Sam 01/01/09
      9.   Israelis discriminate? Never! 00:46  |  peacelover 01/01/09
      10.   Tensions Soar 00:55  |  Elias 01/01/09
      11.   odd 00:28  |  Hirz 01/01/09
      12.   ahhh yes, FREEDOM OF SPEECH 00:35  |  VIPER 01/01/09
      13.   REPORTERS are supposed to report the news not create it 00:53  |  PETER SM 01/01/09
      14.   #1 Peter Israel creates the news! why is reporting it 00:11  |  Jim the mechanic 01/01/09
      15.   Is it a secret.... 00:29  |  US CITIZEN 01/01/09
      16.   This is not a bad thing 00:47  |  Natallie Durson 01/01/09
      17.   # 1 00:58  |  Avi 01/01/09
      18.   hirz - wrong conclusion, 2. try 00:04  |  scallywag 01/01/09
      19.   viper - 2. try 00:05  |  scallywag 01/01/09
      20.   Not a media outlet 00:45  |  Carl 01/01/09
      21.   hirz - wrong conclusion - 3. try 00:17  |  scallywag 01/01/09
      22.   viper - 3. try 00:17  |  scallywag 01/01/09
      23.   JIM The Mechanic disruptive yelling and shouting abuse 00:20  |  PETER SM 01/01/09
      24.   hirz - wrong conclusion - 4. try 00:33  |  scallywag 01/01/09
      25.   viper - 4. try 00:34  |  scallywag 01/01/09
      26.   returning to the shetl 00:07  |  sethd 01/01/09
      27.   peter sm 7 00:10  |  potobac 01/01/09
      28.   What does "Israel-bashing" mean? 00:11  |  Tarik 01/01/09
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