AP decries Israel’s shutdown of its Gaza live feed as ‘abusive use’ of new foreign broadcaster law
Israel seizes AP broadcasting equipment under law that allows closure of foreign networks deemed harmful to state security
FILE PHOTO
ANKARA
The Associated Press on Tuesday condemned Israel’s seizure of its live feed showing a view into the Gaza Strip as an “abusive use” of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law amid an onslaught launched by Tel Aviv on the besieged Palestinian enclave.
“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, vice president of corporate communications at AP, 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,” Easton added.
Officials from the Israeli Communications Ministry arrived at the AP office in Sderot in southern Israel and seized a camera and broadcasting equipment. They handed the agency a piece of paper signed by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi accusing the news agency of violating Israel’s foreign broadcaster law.
Israeli authorities accused the global news agency of providing images to the Qatar-funded Al Jazeera television, one of thousands of clients that receive live video feeds from the AP and other news organizations.
The AP said it complies with Israel’s military censorship rules, which prohibit broadcasts of details like troops movements that could endanger soldiers. Before the seizure, the AP live feed was broadcasting a general view of northern Gaza.
The AP called on Israel to immediately return its equipment and reinstate its live feed “so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world.”
Last month, Israel’s parliament passed a law that allows the closure of foreign networks operating in Israel and confiscates their equipment if the defense minister identifies that their broadcast poses “an actual harm to the state’s security.”
In the first application of the law, Israeli authorities raided the offices of Doha-based Al Jazeera television and confiscated its equipment.
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