NEW YORK — Israel’s closure and seizure of an Associated Press video camera that provided a live view of Gaza alarmed many journalists, who on Tuesday worried about broader implications for coverage of a war fought largely out of sight. of the world, for starters.
After widespread condemnation, including a call from the Biden administration for Israel to back down, authorities returned the AP’s equipment on Tuesday night. Israel justified its decision by saying the agency violated a new media law that bans Al Jazeera, as the Qatari satellite channel is one of thousands of customers receiving live AP video.
By Wednesday morning, AP’s live video feed from Gaza was back in Israel.
The previously confiscated camera, located in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, was not the only one the AP operated in Israel or Gaza – the company did not say how many it regularly uses – nor is the AP the only news organization to do so. . Agence France-Presse confirmed that it frequently uses such cameras in Israel and also sells its images to Al Jazeera.
“Israel’s decision to restrict the work of the AP today is extremely concerning and a clear attack on press freedom,” said Phil Chetwynd, AFP global news director.
News organizations expressed concern about potential ambiguity in how Israeli law could be applied. What, they asked, prevents Israel from completely shutting down news cooperative operations in the country?
“It could also allow Israel to block media coverage of virtually any news event for vague security reasons,” the Israel Foreign Press Association said in a statement.
Israel also denies foreign journalists entry into Gaza to cover a war that began after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks inside the Jewish state, and has been criticized for not doing enough to protect Palestinian journalists and civilians.
The country “seems to be holding on to everything that harms Al Jazeera,” said Thomas Kent, former president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and an international consultant on media ethics. His latest move undermines a reputable news organization at a time when the country appears to want independent news coverage, Kent said.
A democracy acting in this way also sends a disturbing signal to authoritarian countries, he said. “You have to take a broader view,” said Kent, also a former standards editor and international correspondent for the AP. “They are giving fuel to other countries that would love to seize equipment and shut down transmissions.”
The action against the PA triggered a debate within Israel. Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition to Netanyahu’s government, called it an “act of madness.” Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who accused the AP of violating the country’s law, said it clearly states that any device used to deliver content to Al Jazeera can be seized.
“We will continue to act decisively against anyone who tries to harm our soldiers and the security of the state, even if you don’t like it,” Karhi responded to Lapid on X.
The AP camera in Sderot operated 24 hours a day and was also staffed. An employee can be used to move or focus the camera to cover news that may be happening and also to avoid capturing military movements. The AP says it complies with military censorship rules that prohibit broadcasting troop movements that could put soldiers in danger.
News organizations often place cameras that can operate remotely in various places around the world, whether in an area where news is happening or simply to provide a view of a city’s skyline.
These scenes have many uses – providing a backdrop for a television station reporting on events or as a live streaming feature on a website. They can capture live news, as an AP camera positioned outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial did when a man set himself on fire last month. At the start of the war in Gaza, footage from these cameras helped news organizations conduct forensic investigations into who was responsible for a military attack on a Palestinian hospital.
AP is the largest provider of live video news coverage to newsrooms around the world, said AP Vice President Paul Haven, the agency’s head of news gathering.
“Our live video provides a window into what is happening around the world on any given day, allowing the public to see events as they unfold,” said Haven.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “deeply disturbed” by Israel’s actions on Tuesday. Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJ program director, said the country should allow all international media outlets, including Al Jazeera, to operate freely in the country.
While the return of the equipment to Israel is a positive development, the underlying issue has not gone away.
“We remain concerned about the Israeli government’s use of foreign broadcasting law and the ability of independent journalists to operate freely in Israel,” said AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton.
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David Bauder writes about media for the Associated Press. Follow him on
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