Israel seizes AP equipment over war coverage; backlash leads to reversal

Israeli officials seize a camera and broadcasting equipment from The Associated Press but return it hours after receiving criticism. — Image credit: AP Images

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Video shows members of Israel’s Communications Ministry seizing a camera and broadcasting equipment that belonged to The Associated Press. Members also took down the AP’s live feed of the war in Gaza on Tuesday, May 21.

Israeli officials claimed the AP was violating a new foreign broadcast law and putting Israeli soldiers at risk by illegally sharing the live feed with Al Jazeera, an Arab TV network funded by Qatar.

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The new law allows the government to ban foreign news organizations that officials deem national security risks. After the law’s passage, Israel shut down Al Jazeera’s bureau in Jerusalem, with officials — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — calling Al Jazeera “a mouthpiece” for Hamas.

Israeli officials raided the newsroom and shuttered its operations in the country. Al Jazeera said Israel violated “the basic right to access information.”

This week, Israeli officials used the same broadcast law to seize the AP’s equipment.

The Associated Press said the live feed was capturing smoke rising over the Gaza territory. Al Jazeera is one of thousands of clients that receives its live feed of the war in Gaza.

The AP said the shutdown was an “abusive use” of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law.

The Israeli Ministry of Communications doubled down and said the camera was illegally broadcasting live on Al Jazeera, showing the activities of the IDF and endangering Israeli troops.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) and other free press advocates have said the Israeli broadcast law sets a dangerous precedent for censoring journalists and media outlets covering the war.

https://twitter.com/FPAIsPal/status/1792938528088703434

The FPA called Israel’s move a “slippery slope,” warning that Israel could block other live Gaza footage and even block coverage of virtually any news event on vague security grounds.

Hours after Israeli officials confiscated the AP’s equipment, the Israeli government agreed to return the equipment in the face of mounting criticism.

The Associated Press’ live feed was back up from Israel by early Wednesday.

Jake Maslo (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: Al Jazeera, Benjamin Netanyahu, Censorship, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Israel Defense Forces

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

VIDEO SHOWS MEMBERS OF ISRAEL’S COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY SEIZING A CAMERA AND OTHER BROADCASTING EQUIPMENT, BELONGING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – AND TAKING DOWN IT’S LIVE FEED OF THE WAR IN GAZA – TUESDAY.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS CLAIMED THE A-P WAS VIOLATING A NEW FOREIGN BROADCAST LAW BY ILLEGALLY SHARING THE LIVE FEED WITH AL-JAZEERA – AN ARAB TV NETWORK FUNDED BY QATAR – AND PUTTING IDF SOLDIERS’ LIVES AT RISK.

THE NEW LAW ALLOWS THE GOVERNMENT TO BAN FOREIGN NEWS ORGANIZATIONS OFFICIALS DEEM NATIONAL SECURITY RISKS FROM OPERATING IN THE COUNTRY.

AFTER IT’S PASSAGE – ISRAEL SHUT DOWN AL-JAZEERA’S BUREAU IN JERUSALEM WITH OFFICIALS – INCLUDING PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU — CALLING AL-JAZEERA “A MOUTHPIECE” FOR HAMAS.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS RAIDED THE NEWSROOM AND SHUTTERED ITS OPERATIONS IN THE COUNTRY. AL-JAZEERA SAID ISRAEL VIOLATED “THE BASIC RIGHT TO ACCESS INFORMATION.”

AND THIS WEEK – ISRAELI OFFICIALS USED THE SAME BROADCAST LAW – TO SEIZE THE A-P’S EQUIPMENT.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAID THE LIVE FEED WAS CAPTURING SMOKE RISING OVER THE GAZA TERRITORY AND THAT AL-JAZEERA IS ONE OF THOUSANDS OF CLIENTS THAT RECEIVES ITS LIVE FEED OF THE WAR IN GAZA.

THE AP SAID THE SHUTDOWN WAS NOT ABOUT THE FEED’S CONTENT BUT WAS QUOTE “AN ABUSIVE USE” OF THE COUNTRY’S NEW FOREIGN BROADCASTER LAW

THE ISRAELI MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DOUBLED DOWN AND SAID THE CAMERA WAS ILLEGALLY BROADCASTING LIVE ON ALJAZEERA , SHOWING THE ACTIVITIES OF IDF FORCES AND ENDANGERING ISRAELI TROOPS.

THE FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION AND OTHER FREE PRESS ADVOCATES HAVE SAID THE ISRAELI BROADCAST LAW SETS A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT FOR CENSORING JOURNALISTS AND MEDIA OUTLETS COVERING THE WAR.

THE FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION CALLED ISRAEL’S MOVE A SLIPPERY SLOPE. THE GROUP WARNING ISRAEL COULD BLOCK OTHER LIVE GAZA FOOTAGE AND EVEN BLOCK COVERAGE OF VIRTUALLY ANY NEWS EVENT ON VAGUE SECURITY GROUNDS.

HOURS AFTER ISRAELI OFFICIALS CONFISCATED THE A-P’S EQUIPMENT, AND IN THE FACE OF MOUNTING CRITICISM — THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AGREED TO RETURN THE AP’S EQUIPMENT.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS’ LIVE FEED WAS BACK UP FROM ISRAEL EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

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