The Associated Press harshly criticized the Israeli government on Tuesday, citing new censorship laws, after Israeli Defense Forces soldiers seized cameras and equipment and cut live footage in southern Israel.
“The Associated Press condemns in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government in suspending years of live coverage of the situation in Gaza and seizing AP equipment,” Loren Easton, the news agency's chief communications officer, said in a statement. “I will.” “The closure was not based on the content of the feed, but rather on the Israeli government's abuse of the country's new Foreign Broadcasting Law.”
The law, passed last month, allows Israel to shut down foreign media outlets it deems to pose a security risk. This is widely seen as an effort to shut down Qatar-based Al Jazeera's Israeli operations, with one Israeli minister calling it “an act against us from within.” The Israeli government finally shut down Al Jazeera in the country on May 5th.
The law was also seen internationally as an attempt to restrict coverage of Israel's military actions in Gaza, prompting strong condemnation from President Biden.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday that the White House is concerned about news of Israeli seizures and that journalists need the right to do their jobs, according to Axios. Last month, she said the United States “supports critically important labor journalists around the world, including those covering the Gaza conflict.”
The live feed shows aerial footage of northern Gaza and is accessible to hundreds of broadcasters who access the station's content, including Al Jazeera. Israel said it had asked The Associated Press to suspend communications on Thursday because Al Jazeera had access to its feed, but the news agency refused. In response, the Ministry of Communications seized the news agency's equipment on Tuesday.
“Following the government's decision and the instructions of the Minister of Communications, the Ministry of Communications will continue to take the necessary enforcement measures to restrict broadcasts that undermine national security,” the ministry told The Associated Press in a statement.
The Associated Press is subject to Israeli military restrictions, which prevent news outlets from reporting on military movements or similar military operations. But the news agency said the latest seizure has meant that news organizations around the world have been unable to report on Gaza at all, especially since access to the country is severely restricted.
“We urge the Israeli authorities to return the equipment and immediately resume live feeds so that we can continue to provide this important video journalism to thousands of news organizations around the world,” AP said in a statement. said.
