The Foreign Press Association expresses its concern about physical and verbal attacks toward journalists during Thursday’s flag march, May 18, 2023, through Damascus Gate. On multiple occasions, marchers pelted journalists with water bottles,cans and wooden sticks. Marchers also shouted violent and racist epithets at reporters in the presence of police officers. At least two journalists were lightly injured. In addition, a CNN team covering events in the Old City was shoved with unnecessary force by a police unit as they tried to interview local Palestinians. The FPA notes that police did respond to our complaints and did attempt to quell the violence. But given the violent history of this event, we believe police should have been better prepared and could have

The Foreign Press Association strongly supports channel France 24 Arabic-speaking Jerusalem team – correspondent Leila Odeh and her cameraman Nader Baybers – who were harassed Wednesday, November 23, while covering the aftermath of a deadly bomb blast. The two journalists were surrounded by a group of young Israeli extremists who made offensive gestures and were verbally aggressive towards correspondent Leila Odeh, pronouncing insult of “Death to Arabs!”, “we don’t want Arabs, we don’t want terrorists, get out of here”, and all this went on as the correspondent was broadcasting live and on-air. As an experienced journalist speaking Hebrew, Arabic and English, Leila Odeh asked help and protection from a nearby

The recent IDF announcements about its investigation into the May 11 killing of Shireen Abu Akleh raise major questions about the military’s actions that day and serious doubts about its stated commitment to protecting journalists in the future. A senior military official told reporters the soldier at the site was under Palestinian gunfire around the time Abu Akleh was shot but provided no evidence to support that claim. According to video footage from that day, Abu Akleh was shot following several quiet minutes of no gunfire at the site. The Israeli announcement says it found “no abnormalities” in the military’s standard

The Foreign Press Association is deeply alarmed about acts of violence by Israeli civilians and police towards journalists working for the foreign press during the Jerusalem Day flag march on May 29.  A BBC team was verbally and physically assaulted by Israeli march participants. A France 24 reporter was assaulted live on air by an Israeli participant. Quique Kierszenbaum, a freelance photographer and producer covering the march for foreign media, was pepper sprayed by an Israeli participant and punched in the face by an Israeli border police officer. A journalist for Israeli public broadcasting, Iyad Harb, was beaten, punched and

The Foreign Press Association is appalled and deeply shocked by the killing of veteran Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. Her death is a tremendous loss for journalism, and the FPA offers its deepest condolences to Al Jazeera and her family. Shireen was wearing a flak jacket tagged “press” and was part of a clearly identified group of journalists when she was shot in the head. The FPA is waiting for more details on the exact circumstances of Shireen’s death. We welcome the Israeli military’s promise for an investigation. Given the Israeli security forces’ poor record of investigating violence against

On the afternoon of Friday, February 18th, 2022, Agence France- Presse (AFP) photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh was hit by a hard rubber bullet fired by Israeli police border in Beita, West Bank.  Jaafar was covering a demonstration of approximately 400/500 Palestinians participants against the outpost of Evyatar. Jaafar was clearly distant from the protesters and around 50 meters away from the border police when he was shot. He was wearing a flack jacket written « Press » on it and a helmet. When he had the feeling he might be shot at, he protected his face with his right forearm and

On the afternoon of Tuesday, January 25th, 2022, Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Ahmad Gharabli was hit by a hard rubber bullet fired by Israeli police in A-Tur neighborhood, East Jerusalem. Ahmad was covering a small demonstration by local residents as Israeli forces started to demolish the house of a local Palestinian family. Ahmad was clearly distant from the protesters and the police and was easily recognizable with his camera. As video from the scene illustrates, Ahmad was doing nothing to interfere in the work of police when he was shot in the upper chest, a few centimeters from his face.