Report: Two photojournalists injured by IDF at West Bank protest
The Foreign Press Association in Israel condemns recent harassment and arrests of journalists in the West Bank by the IDF.
By News Agencies and Haaretz Service Tags: Israel news West Bank IDFTwo Palestinian photojournalists were injured by Israel Defense Forces troops on Saturday during a protest in the southern West Bank town of Beit Umar, near Hebron, news agencies reported.
The photojournalists were covering a weekly demonstration against Israel's West Bank security barrier. The demonstration was attended by dozens of Palestinians as well as foreign and Israeli activists.
One photojournalist reported being hit in the face and leg by a soldier with a baton and another photojournalist was said to have suffered hearing loss after a stun grenade exploded near his head.
 |
A journalist hurt at a protest in the West Bank town of Beit Umar on Saturday July 17, 2010. |
| Photo by: AFP |
The IDF said that security forces had dispersed 40 demonstrators who had entered a closed military zone and thrown rocks at soldiers.
The military spokesman said anyone who chooses to enter conflict areas does so "at his or her own risk."
The Foreign Press Association in Israel issued a statement on Saturday condemning what it called a "recent policy change" by the IDF and border police in regards to journalists covering events in the West Bank.
"Over the past months journalists covering these events have been harassed, arrested and attacked by the various on site forces before these forces turn their attention to the activists or demonstrators," the statement read.
"We would appreciate it were the authorities to remind the various forces involved, that open, unhindered coverage of news events is a widely acknowledged part of the essence of democracy."
"Generally speaking this would not include smashing the face of a clearly marked photographer working for a known and accredited news organization with a stick, or for that matter aiming a stun grenade at the head of a clearly marked news photographer or summarily arresting cameramen, photographers and/or journalists."
The IDF refuted the FPA's statement, saying that journalists report from "everywhere, all the time and every situation" in West Bank. The IDF cautioned that journalists who cover violent demonstrations face the possibility of getting hurt.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
No way ANY protest against the right of Israel to jackboot Arabs will be allowed to end peacefully. Any Arab who protests anything Israel does may ONLY expect the Jackboot in the face. Got it?
The fence is here to stay. I only wish I helped construct it.
To those who complain that journalists who enter an area of conflict should not expect to be safe. Would they have said the same thing to the brave journalists and photographers who covered World War 2, the Vietnam war etc? I guess there are some people who would rather that the world just didn't know.
One photojournalist reported being hit in the face and leg by a soldier with a baton
Never know when is true or when is another scene of Pallywood. Anyway, if the journalists enter an area of conflict they can not expect to be safe. They should get powerful zoom lens and take pictures from far if they don't want to get harmed.
when it has to do with justifying the unjustifiable for the IDF!!!!
The way I learned it, you f-ck with the bull, you get the horn.
That's a funny analogy. You should know what they think of bulls in Spanish countries and what they represent. Ha ha!
Mr Stoler (1) : ISRAELI SOLDIERS, not JEWS : please be clear about this !
on "face smashing" displaying their internal blood lust.
And they are photojournalsts, as in video and picture takers, not written journalists. You know, the type that can take a video of what really happens at a demo and show the world. But the IDF of course does not want that to happen, so they bash them and throw grenades at them.
So you would be okay if the Swedish army would do that to somebody from press? I think you are not absolute swedish, You sound like you are the one looking for blood, when i am reading your comments!
The military spokesman said anyone who chooses to enter conflict areas does so "at his or her own risk." How nice!
(1) Photographers (2) terrorists (3) Civilians in that order
it's amazing how many poeple take pain inflicted on others so casualy, they should try it on themselfs first
can not see pictures or videos of what the IDF does during the demonstrations. The earlier incident caught on tape of the soldier shooting the blindfolded handcuffed man caught world attention and forced the IDF to punish their own. Eliminate pictures and videos and the IDF can do whatever the hell they feel like doing without repurcussions. They will just blame any attrocities on "Pals throwing rocks".
they're realy experts in that
they act like animals but thank god for cameras video and the internet
To bad ,now you know how soldiers feel when they are attacked.Do not complain you diserve to be attacked when you put yourself in the line of fire .You are simply looking for an excuse to cry brutality .Is it not funny ,you never seem to be harassed by the Arab??? ONLY JEWS.
These two journalists were not attacked by "Jews" but by IDF soldiers who violated the principle of freedom of the press and the principle of not attacking civilians. These soldiers acted like wild beasts and do not deserve to keep their Israeli nationality.