Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Who Does Not Target the Media

By Mel Frykberg

"RAMALLAH, May 13 (IPS) - Palestinian journalists in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be arrested and harassed by the respective security forces of the divided Palestinian leadership. And from Israel, a belated freedom has come to cover Gaza, but amidst other concerns.....

The Israeli authorities also declared a two-mile closed military zone from Gaza's border into Israeli territory, preventing hundreds of foreign journalists encamped on surrounding hills from effectively covering what was happening.

Instead, media coverage was left to Palestinian journalists and the few foreign correspondents who had managed to enter the coastal territory before the ban took effect.

However, even after the FPA's court victory a disagreement between the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) over negative coverage of the war further delayed the entrance of journalists.

A compromise thereafter allowed in a limited number of foreign journalists, approved by the IDF, several of whom were embedded with Israeli forces.

But, a media monitoring organisation said, this was too little too late....."

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