Journalists Cannot be Blocked from Broadcasting from the Scene of a Missile Strike

Mounted police at a protest. Photo: Amos Gil, Shatil-Stok

On June 23, 2025, ACRI contacted the Attorney General following reports about a new directive issued by the Legal Advisor to the Police granting police officers discretion to act against journalists and photographers if they believe that the journalists are documenting the aftermath of missile attacks from or near strategic security sites. The directive authorizes any police officer, regardless of role or rank, to demand that journalists identify themselves, to document them, to interrupt broadcasts and remove them from the location, to confiscate photography equipment, and to detain and interrogate them. 

In the petition, Attorney Tal Hassin argued that the Legal Advisor does not have the authority to issue this kind of directive, that it is a violation of fundamental rights, and is ultimately illegal. She emphasized that the directive is primarily aimed at foreign media and is part of a series of recent initiatives to use non-existent powers to restrict and impede media coverage. As a result of these initiatives and statements in the media and on social networks, foreign and Israeli journalists have been subjected to threats and verbal abuse, and both police and citizens have attempted to block video broadcasts. 

Attorney Hassin emphasized that the task of balancing press freedom, freedom of expression, and freedom of information against the backdrop of security considerations is the sole responsibility of the military censor. Military censorship is an independent authority that is not subordinate to the Minister of National Security or the Minister of Communications, and the ministers are not authorized to give it instructions, make demands of it, or offer advice. They are certainly not authorized to impersonate agents acting on the military censor’s behalf and direct the police to act against journalists. 

ACRI's petition, June 23, 2025 (Heb) 

For links to Hebrew articles about this issue, see here. 

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