A recent letter to the editors of the Jerusalem Post was sent in by the Dutch RTL media journalist Connie Mus, regarding the baring of international correspondents from Gaza during the recent war there.
Gaza War Hill of Shame (AP)
While Ms. Mus may have thought she had some valid points in regards to her comments about the Israeli government barring foreign correspondents from entering Gaza during the fighting there, judging from what occurred during the 2006 war in Lebanon, having a slew of international journalists stationed in Beirut and elsewhere not only increased the negative propaganda war against Israel but also put the lives of these people in mortal danger.
Mind you, field correspondents have often been exposed to harm’s way during warfare, and many have paid the ultimate price for doing so. But due to the intensity of the bombing and fighting which did occur in many parts of Gaza, several of these journalists, and the camera and other logistical personnel which usually accompany them, might have been killed or injured during the three week operation.
It might be noted that during the 2006 war in Lebanon, in which over 1,190 Lebanese (mostly civilians) and 165 Israelis (44 civilians) were killed, a news photographer and TV technician were killed and at least 12 journalists suffered various injuries and wounds. According to statistics noted by the international organization Journalists Without Borders, 81 journalists and auxiliary personnel lost their lives in the line of duty in 2006 alone.
That none of the journalists covering Operation Cast Lead suffered even minor injuries can be attributed to the ban which was imposed on them by both the government and the IDF. After the cease fire was declared, these journalists have not wasted any time going in to Gaza to get the “full story” as was indicated in the “BBC Ad” incident when the BBC refused to broadcast a controversial fund raising advertisement that has been judged to be show partiality towards Hamas. In light of this, maybe there’s logic to these restrictions after all.
January 29, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Cony Mus is a man. He has worked as a correspondent in Israel for 25 years.
A journalist has the write to decide whether or not s/he wishes to risk his life while covering a war zone. Israel is one of a tiny handful of countries that bans reporters from covering stories. The other countries that enforce bans include North Korea; none is a democracy.
One of the pillars of Israel’s democracy is its Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled, during the first week of the war, that the ministry of defense *must* allow foreign correspondents to enter Gaza. The ministry of defense ignored the ruling, flouting the law and betraying Israel’s democratic principles.
We should all be deeply ashamed of Israel’s limiting of freedom of the press. It is unfitting for a democracy to behave in this manner.
February 1, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Well, democracy or not, the journalists had to sit this one out,
except, of course those who were permanently stationed in Gaza,
as well as those working for local Gaza media networks, some of
whom were injured. I reckon that the government and military
authorities who did not permit all those folk on “the hill” to be under
fire was afraid of adverse publicity more than whether any of them
would be killed or wounded. Maybe next time, the defense minister,
whoever it may be, will let all those corresponsdents, including
Mr. Mus, go in there and enjoy the spectacle first hand. Maybe
they can even make a doco-movie of it. After all, that’s democact, isn’t it?
September 1, 2010 at 2:48 pm
How ironic that the author of this article, clearly not an independent journalist as Connie Mus, while trying to defend Israel’s right to ban journalists from entering Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, confuses him for a woman!
That clearly shows the author has not done even the most fundamental journalistic work of checking facts and backgrounds! And with that the author completely delegitimizes him/herself.
RIP Connie Mus