{"id":13736,"date":"2024-05-23T13:49:40","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T13:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/?p=13736"},"modified":"2024-05-23T13:49:40","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T13:49:40","slug":"israel-raids-the-associated-press-and-seizes-equipment-over-war-coverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/?p=13736","title":{"rendered":"Israel Raids the Associated Press and Seizes Equipment Over War Coverage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“On April 1, Israeli lawmakers passed a law<\/a> that would allow the government to shut down foreign news networks deemed a threat to national security. The Times of Israel<\/em> reported that the law was specifically intended to target Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news network that has often been accused<\/a> of anti-Israel or pro-Hamas bias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The terrorist channel Al Jazeera will no longer broadcast from Israel,” Netanyahu pledged in an April 1 post<\/a> on X (formerly Twitter). “I intend to act immediately in accordance with the new law to stop the channel’s activity.” Netanyahu charged that the network had “harmed Israel’s security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and incited against [Israel Defense Forces] soldiers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move was broadly denounced. “Such slanderous accusations will not deter us from continuing our bold and professional coverage,” Al Jazeera said in a statement<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“On May 5, Israel forcibly closed<\/a> Al Jazeera’s satellite office in Tel Aviv, seized its broadcast equipment, and blocked access to its websites and broadcasts from within the country, after the government unanimously approved<\/a> a proposal to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then on Tuesday<\/a>, Israel did the same to the A.P.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country’s communications ministry had ordered the A.P. to cease its live broadcast of footage from Gaza last week, which the outlet refused to do. As a result, officials seized broadcast equipment, saying in a statement that “the communications ministry will continue to take whatever enforcement action is required to limit broadcasts that harm the security of the state.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The AP complies with Israel’s military censorship rules, which prohibit broadcasts of details like troops movements that could endanger soldiers,” the outlet noted. “Al Jazeera is one of thousands of AP customers, and it receives live video from AP and other news organizations.””<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Hours after the seizure, the A.P.’s story was updated to say that “Israel’s communications minister ordered the government to return a camera and broadcasting equipment it had seized from The Associated Press, reversing course hours after blocking the news organization’s live video of Gaza.” It noted that this came after “the Biden administration, journalism organizations and an Israeli opposition leader condemned the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pressured it to reverse the decision.””<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Israel Raids the Associated Press and Seizes Equipment Over War Coverage<\/a><\/blockquote>