Qatar owned Al Jazeera had their broadcast studio in the West Bank raided by the Israel Defense Forces. Their plug’s been pulled for at least the next 45 days. “Armed and masked Israeli soldiers entered the building early on Sunday during a live broadcast.”
Al Jazeera raided
The Ramallah offices and broadcast studio of Al Jazeera provide coverage for the jointly occupied West Bank region. Bureau chief Walid al-Omari was in charge, so troops handed him the closure order as viewers watched live.
A clearly flustered Omari read the notice out loud on the air.
This isn’t the first time Al Jazeera had a similar incident. Israel raided their offices in Nazareth and occupied East Jerusalem back in May.
The IDF has frequently “described the Qatar-based broadcaster as a threat to national security.” That’s a matter of opinion, Omari countered.
“Targeting journalists this way always aims to erase the truth and prevent people from hearing the truth.” He’s right in general about the dangers of censorship but Al Jazeera seems to slant the truth into the direction most convenient for them.
That’s not always in the best interest of Israeli safety and security. After the order was delivered, the soldiers went efficiently to work, carting off crucial equipment.
Confiscated equipment
Israeli soldiers weren’t content with kicking out the staff and padlocking the doors. They made sure that all the gear required for news production and broadcast was hauled away for safekeeping.
According to Al Jazeera journalist Mohammad Alsaafin, “the soldiers confiscated the last microphone and camera off the street outside.” That was right after they “forced Omari out of the office.”
Resorting to social media for publication, Alsaafin posted that “the troops also pulled down a poster of Shireen Abu Aqla – an Al Jazeera reporter who was killed while covering a raid by Israeli forces in the West Bank.” That really wasn’t necessary. Or professional.
The way they see it, their “Palestinian-American reporter was shot by Israeli forces.” Israel denied that but an investigation shows there was a “high probability” that an Israeli soldier killed her.
Ever since the big war started, foreign journalists have been banned from even entering the Gaza strip. “Al Jazeera staff based in the area have been some of the only reporters able to cover the war on the ground.”
It doesn’t help that “Israel has repeatedly branded the network a terrorist mouthpiece.” The network denies that allegation.
