Is the Israeli government right or wrong to forbid international journalists access to Gaza?

Posted on April 14th, 2010 by admin in journalists | 20 Comments »

the official line is that journalists go in at their own risk (of being killed by Israeli troops) and that they must not endanger Israeli troops to protect journalists.

The Israeli high court has disagreed with the ruling/

Is it ever justifiable for any reason to deny reporters access to anywhere?

The simple answer is that Israel do not want the world to see the truth They have broken so many rules of engagement such as using Phosphorus in civilian areas, Have attacked UN run schools, Have attacked a UN aid convoy just to name a few.Israel think that they are above all international rules and laws and seem to be doing just as it wishes

20 Responses

  1. Mr. Grinch Says:

    that is wrong they should be allowed in.

    journalist arnt scared if they can brave afghanistan and iraq the gaarza is nothing and are the israeli soldiers that stupid that they cant tell the difference with someone holding a mic or camera and sumone holding a gun
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  2. Murzy Says:

    it’s a very high risk (unsafe) for reporters. they can be caught in the crossfire
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  3. kismet Says:

    Israel is right to protect civilians. You forget that Egypt also shares a border with Gaza, why aren’t they letting in journalists?
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  4. RWP Says:

    I believe, as in other conflict, that a pool be established or "embedded" reporters could have been placed with the troops to keep Hamas from doing what they are doing right now…Accusing the Israeli troops of atrocities.
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  5. PEABUS Says:

    They should be kept out.
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  6. kaami50 Says:

    is it a trick question?
    anyone with an average IQ can tell u that when u dont want war crimes to be reported you wouldnt allow the reporters in … ;)
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  7. bob_frangione2000 Says:

    The official line does not deny acces to journalists. It merely states that they are not to expect to be protected from or by the Israeli military. While journalists are generally allowed some protection from arrest and harm in most conflicts, there is no international policy on that protection and access.
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  8. Cher Says:

    They aren’t forbidding international journalists…only western journalists that might be favorable to them. Al-Jaazeers & other Arab newspapers have journalists in there. So that blows the theory that this is about manipulating the news in their favor. So far the images we see are from those journalists & western ones have said exactly this.

    The are denying not because it endangers the journalists but because in Hizbollah war the journalists would take photos of bomb landings & show them to Hizbollah (as part of news) so Hizbollah could improve their aim. Here the troops are having a terrible time not be picked off by sniper fire & traps. Giving Hamas their locations & ideas of their movements through photos — dangerous. In Hizbollah war the troops were distracted & deaths resulted from trying to protect those with them. This is an even more complicated situation.

    Funny, but I haven’t seen a single comment about denying access by reporters to huge parts of the world that goes on everyday whether Israel is being bombed by Hamas or not. It appears it’s only a problem to people if it involves Israel. …Saudi Arabia, Iran’s killed journalists & jailed others, Yemen controls ink to control newspapers, N. Korea, Syria, Sudan, hum, it’s so not a topic, I can’t rattle all the rest of them off.
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  9. LIBERATOR Says:

    Wrong, but you can’t expect anything else from vile, murdering zionist scum !
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  10. Saundra N Says:

    Whether it is right or wrong is neither here nor there. I would question the motives behind the decision. No access = no pictures, no reports which means they have got free reign to do just as they like. No it is not justifiable because it impedes freedom of press and information to the rest of the world!
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  11. michael w Says:

    The simple answer is that Israel do not want the world to see the truth They have broken so many rules of engagement such as using Phosphorus in civilian areas, Have attacked UN run schools, Have attacked a UN aid convoy just to name a few.Israel think that they are above all international rules and laws and seem to be doing just as it wishes
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  12. Zineb H Says:

    wrong israel doesn t want the world know the truth
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  13. shock Says:

    There is no law that gives journalism that right to go where ever they want. The Israeli government does not want these people to get in the way and be casualties of war.
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  14. Colin S Says:

    this is probable for their safety they would not want some high profile news man killed by incoming gun fire
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  15. Andrew S Says:

    The anti-Semites are going to blab about how they think Israel is covering up the truth but if they loved the truth they would not be anti-Semitic to begin with. They do nothing but cover up the truth.
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  16. starleo51 Says:

    Since then, when did Israel got it right? None
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  17. Javed Iqbal Says:

    It is shameless arrogance Israel’s illegitimate government. The land belonged to Egypt before 1967 and UN regulations do not allow annexing land by power. But Israel has not only annexed Ghaza but ruling it brutally and massacring Palestinians, including women and children.

    But news is somehow coming out of the iron curtain. And soon she will have to pay dearly for her hegemonical designs.

    Muhammad Javed Iqbal
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  18. The First Dragon Says:

    Of course there are situations in which it is justifiable to deny access to journalists! Anybody surely has the right to deny them access to private property. They aren’t exactly the FBI and even the FBI needs a search warrant. There are lots of places that a reporter does not have the right to go.
    It’s a sensitive matter, naturally. But the military does have a responsibility to keep extraneous people out of the battle zone, I would think. The military also has the duty to deny access to anybody who might help the enemy; and its a case of "better safe than sorry."
    Some reporters, of course, have been known to go where they have been told not to, in order to get a story. This is traditional in countries with a free press. News media tolerate this kind of behavior and sometimes encourage it in their employees.
    Anyhow, it’s not my call. The Israeli courts will settle it.
    Now, if a reporter wanted to investigate the actions of Russia in Georgia, or of Iran near its border with Iraq, I think they would never get permission unless they could guarantee a report favorable to the government.
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  19. bella_bambina248 Says:

    wrong bec its the own who is doing the killing! it is so obvious she is doing it to cover up what is happening , such as the fact that Palestinians are now starving so much , they started eating grass which actually is polluted by white phosphorous from israeli bombs!
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  20. bunohash Says:

    There can be no justification for this, unless Israel wants to hide its crimes against humanity.
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