Israel: American reporter arrested on suspicion of belonging to "Palestinian agitators"

(Baonghean.vn) - On February 16, Israeli authorities detained the Washington Post's chief representative and his colleague in Jerusalem while they were working at the city's gateway.

According to the Foreign Press Association, Washington Post reporters were interviewing several high school students at Damascus Gate when they were surrounded by Israeli police. "Israeli police asked the two journalists to show their identification cards or papers," the Foreign Press Association said.

Washington Post bureau chief in Israel William Booth (right) and reporter Sufian Taha (center) were arrested in Jerusalem on February 16. Photo: NYTimes

"Despite showing their government press credentials and proving that they were conducting an interview for the Washington Post, the journalists were taken to a nearby police station and detained for about 40 minutes on suspicion of belonging to a group of 'Palestinian agitators'."

Micky Rosenfeld, an Israeli police spokesman, said security measures were being tightened around Damascus Gate, where Palestinians have carried out multiple attacks and shootings in the past four months that have left at least 27 Israelis, an American student and a Palestinian dead. About 160 Palestinians, most of them attackers, have been shot dead by Israeli security forces.

Kris Coratti, a spokesman for The Washington Post, expressed concern about the arrest of the newspaper's reporters while doing their work.

The US State Department said it would seek an explanation from Israeli police. "This is an unfortunate incident. William Booth is a veteran reporter for The Post, having served as bureau chief in Mexico City, Miami and Los Angeles."

Nitzan Chen, head of the Israeli Government Press Office, said the incident "was the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding."

"Press freedom is a supreme value in Israeli democracy. We are doing our utmost to create a free and pressure-free environment for the foreign press. We call on the security forces and journalists to act with restraint and avoid confrontation during times of tension."

Recent reports by the research organization Freedom House say that Israel "prioritizes media diversity, in which press freedom is respected," but Israeli government officials regularly come under criticism from foreign journalists.

Also on February 16, an official Bahraini news agency reported that Israeli security forces had released four American journalists who had been detained two days earlier on charges of "sabotage and rioting," "using vehicles to obstruct traffic, and participating in illegal meetings."

Thanh Hien

(According to NYTimes)