Jerusalem— A camera and broadcasting apparatus belonging to The Associated Press were confiscated by Israeli officials in southern Israel on Tuesday. The news organization was accused of violating the country’s new prohibition on Al Jazeera. One of the thousands of consumers that receive live video transmissions from the Associated Press and other news organizations is the Qatari satellite channel. The measure was decried by the Associated Press.
“The Associated Press strongly condemns the Israeli government’s decision to seize AP equipment and terminate our longstanding live transmission that provides a view of Gaza,” stated Lauren Easton, the vice president of corporate communications at the news organization. “The closure was not determined by the content of the transmission, but rather by the Israeli government’s abusive application of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law.” We call on the Israeli authorities to promptly return our equipment and allow us to reestablish our live transmission. This will enable us to continue to deliver this critical visual journalism to thousands of media outlets worldwide.
In the southern Israeli town of Sderot, officials from the Communications Ministry arrived at the AP location on Tuesday afternoon and confiscated the apparatus. Alleging that the AP was in violation of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law, they presented the AP with a piece of paper signed by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi.
A comprehensive view of northern Gaza was broadcast shortly prior to the equipment’s seizure. The AP adheres to Israel’s military censorship regulations, which forbid the broadcast of information regarding troop movements that could pose a threat to soldiers. In general, the live image has depicted smoke ascending over the territory.
The seizure occurred subsequent to a verbal directive issued on Thursday to discontinue the live transmission, which the news organization declined to comply with.
On May 5, Israeli officials implemented the new legislation to seal the Qatar-based broadcaster’s offices, confiscate its equipment, restrict its websites, and prohibit its broadcasts.
Over the years, Israel has maintained a contentious relationship with Al Jazeera, alleging that it is biased against the country. It has been referred to as a “terror channel” that disseminates incitement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The government’s decision to seize the AP’s equipment was criticized by Israeli opposition politician Yair Lapid as “an act of madness” and as evidence that Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government had “gone crazy.” Lapid also noted that the AP is “not Al Jazeera; this is an American media outlet that has won 53 Pulitzer Prizes.”
One of the few international news outlets that has remained in Gaza throughout the conflict is Al Jazeera, which has broadcasted images of congested hospitals and airstrikes and has accused Israel of atrocities. In addition, CBS News maintains a staff in Gaza that provides daily updates on the most recent developments in the conflict.
Hamas waged an attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 250 others, which marked the commencement of the Gaza War. According to the Health Ministry of Gaza, over 35,000 Palestinians have been slain since that time. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.
