Tensions soar between Israeli UN delegation, Al-Jazeera

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.

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."