Journalists Union demands Communications Ministry stop 'hunting' Arab journalists

The Union of Journalists in Israel called on Sunday for the Communications Ministry to stop “hunting” Arabic-speaking journalists after several were questioned while covering a protest in Tel Aviv last week.

The union stated that the Arabic-speaking journalists were covering the event when inspectors from the Communications Ministry and police officers began questioning them and asking them to state what agency they worked for to ensure they didn't work for Al-Jazeera.

וגם זה אתמול בהפגנה, שוטרים לוקחים לצד צוות תקשורת ערבי זר, דורשים מהם תעודות ומעכבים אותם לכמה דק של בירורים. במשטרה אומרים שזו היתה סה״כ שיחה ולא עיכוב או מעצר, עדים להתרחשות אומרים שהם סברו שמדובר בצוות של אל ג׳זירהצילום: דניאל רפפורט https://t.co/UugHgSm0Bt pic.twitter.com/CdXJ6S4kou

— Bar Peleg (@bar_peleg) May 12, 2024

Haaretz shared footage from the scene showing police officers taking aside journalists from Al-Araby TV at the protest on May 11 and asking for their IDs. Witnesses at the scene said that the police officers thought the reporters worked with Al Jazeera. The reporters were holding microphones with the symbol of Al Araby.

'Chilling effect on the freedom of the press'

The Journalists Union’s legal advisers stressed in a letter to the ministry that “this is prohibited conduct that impacts the freedom of the press and has a chilling effect on the freedom of the press and the work of the journalists, and even an impact on the journalists’ freedom of occupation since only Arabic-speaking journalists were chosen to be checked.”

The Union added that the order that was issued to close Al Jazeera does not give the ministry’s inspectors or the police the authority to question journalists just because they’re reporting in Arabic.

The Union warned that if this practice is not stopped, “we will be forced to proceed with the steps available to us, including going to the courts.”

In 2023, attacks against journalists doubled compared to the year before, with 61 attacks reported yearly. Of the attacks, 31 were conducted by security forces, 25 were conducted by the public, and five cases involved incitement and threats.