"Israel tells media to stay off flotilla;Vows to expel foreign journalists" by Mark Lavie, Associated Press / June 27, 2011
JERUSALEM — Israel said yesterday that any foreign journalist caught on board a Gaza-bound flotilla could face deportation and a 10-year ban from the country, in a move that threatened to worsen the nation’s already strained relationship with the international media.
Doing 'em a favor by keeping them out of the country.
As for the international media:
Six Jewish Companies Own 96% of the World's Media
Declassified: Massive Israeli manipulation of US media exposed
That does explain the "journalistic style" of AmeriKa's jewspapers.
Journalists said they should be allowed to cover a legitimate news story, but Israel said the media would be complicit in an illegal breach of its naval blockade of a hostile territory ruled by a terrorist group.
Am I ever sick of the Zionist narrative passing as news.
The announcement reflected Israeli jitters about the international flotilla, which comes just more than a year after a similar mission ended with the deaths of nine Turkish activists in clashes with Israeli naval commandos who intercepted them. Each side blamed the other for the violence....
Israel is eager to avoid a repeat of last year’s raid, which drew heavy international condemnation and prompted Israel to ease its blockade on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Many Israelis believe that the media’s coverage of the bloodshed contributed to their country’s image problems.
By that they mean blogs because they certainly can't be referring to their "news" organs.
In a letter to foreign journalists, the Government Press Office’s director, Oren Helman, called the flotilla “a dangerous provocation that is being organized by Western and Islamic extremist elements to aid Hamas.’’
This is the problem right here. Israel's charges are to the extreme and totally ridiculous. When they engage in such hyperbole (not to mention outright lying) it is tough, damn near impossible to believe anything they say -- ever.
He warned journalists that taking part in the flotilla “is an intentional violation of Israeli law and is liable to lead to participants being denied entry into the State of Israel for 10 years, to the impoundment of their equipment, and to additional sanctions,’’ Helman said.
The letter, he added, was reviewed and approved by Israel’s attorney general.
The Foreign Press Association, which represents hundreds of journalists working for international news organizations in Israel and the Palestinian territories, condemned the Israeli decision and urged the government to cancel the order.
“The government’s threat to punish journalists covering the Gaza flotilla sends a chilling message to the international media and raises serious questions about Israel’s commitment to freedom of the press,’’ the association said in a statement.
There are a lot of things that raise serious questions about Israel.
--more--"
Related: Israel Rescinds Threat to Reporters on Flotilla
Ever notice being a complete asshole always backfires?
"In a separate development yesterday, organizers of an international flotilla to Gaza accused Israel of pressuring Greece to stall their departure and acknowledged they still faced hurdles in their efforts to sail from Greek waters....
--more--"
Actually, the ships were sabotaged while in harbor (who would want to do that?), and Israel is pressuring Turkey as well -- all absent from today's edition of my Zionist War Daily.
You want really good reporting?
Go here, here, or here.
