The Associated Press brutally criticized the Israeli government on Tuesday after soldiers with the Israeli Defense Forces seized a camera, equipment, and cut its live feed in southern Israel, citing a new censorship law.
“The Associated Press decries in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government to shut down our longstanding live feed showing a view into Gaza and seize AP equipment,” Lauren Easton, the wire's chief communications officer, said in a statement. “The shutdown was not based on the content of the feed but rather an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law.”
The law, passed last month, allows Israel to shut down any foreign news outlet it believes to be a security risk. It was widely viewed as an effort to shut down the Israel operations of Qatar-based Al Jazeera, which an Israeli minister described as “acting from within against us.” The Israel government eventually shut down Al Jazeera in the country on May 5.
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The law was also viewed internationally as an attempt to limit coverage of Israeli military actions in Gaza, prompting a tempered rebuke by the Biden White House.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday that the White House was concerned by the news of Israel’s seizures and said journalists must have the right to do their jobs, according to Axios. Last month she noted the U.S. “supports the critically important work journalists around the world, and that includes those who are reporting in the conflict in Gaza.”
The live feed showed an aerial view of northern Gaza, one accessible to the hundreds of outlets, including Al Jazeera, that access the wire service‘s content. Israel asked the AP to take the transmission down on Thursday because of Al Jazeera’s access to the feed, but the AP said it refused. That prompted the communications ministry to seize the wire service’s equipment on Tuesday.
“In accordance with the government decision and the instruction of the communications minister, the communications ministry will continue to take whatever enforcement action is required to limit broadcasts that harm the security of the state,” the ministry told AP in a statement.
The AP has abided by Israel’s military restrictions, which prevent news outlets from reporting on troop movements and similar military actions. However, the outlet said the seizure prevents news organizations across the world from having any view of Gaza, particularly as access to the region is severely limited.
“We urge the Israeli authorities to return our equipment and enable us to reinstate our live feed immediately so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world,” the AP said in its statement.
