Police Harassment of Arabic-Speaking Journalists
- ACRI
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
On June 23, 2025, ACRI and the I’lam Media Center-The Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development, and Research contacted the Police Commissioner and the Coastal District Commander demanding that the police stop their harassment of and violence towards Arab journalists. The appeal was prompted by two incidents. First, at the scene of an Iranian missile strike, a reporter and camera operator from an Egyptian television network were violently attacked by Border Police officers. The officers beat the reporter and camera operator, called them "terrorists," accused them of working for Al Jazeera, disconnected the camera's power cable to stop the broadcast, and confiscated the broadcasting equipment. The next day, police broke into the hotel rooms of foreign journalists in Haifa, detained them for hours, seized and confiscated their equipment, and forbade them from continuing to broadcast from Haifa. In both cases, the journalists and camera operators followed the orders of the military censor, which prohibit publicizing strike locations. In Bat Yam, the police even approved the broadcast location.
In the appeal, Attorney Hagar Shechter argued that the officers acted without authority and in a disproportionate and unreasonable manner. Their actions were a violation of freedom of the press and freedom of work, and they harassed the media crews solely because they were Arabic-speakers. She also noted that when security forces label someone a "terrorist," they expose them to violence from the public, particularly when the public atmosphere is tense. We requested that it be clarified to law enforcement that it is their duty to protect freedom of expression and freedom of the press, that harassment of Arab journalists constitutes prohibited discrimination, and that Arab journalists cannot be forbidden from offering coverage when the same coverage is permitted for their Jewish or non-Arab foreign colleagues. We also requested that the confiscated equipment be returned, and that it be made clear that they may continue broadcasting from the city of Haifa.
Appeal by ACRI and I'lam, June 23, 2025 (Heb)
For articles in Hebrew about this issue, see here.
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