Source: Facebook
Nasser Shiyoukhi/AP and Abed Omar Qusini/REUTERS are both reporting on Facebook that they've been injured by the Israeli Defense Forces in Hebron today. While Shiyouki appears to have just scuffled a little bit (pictured above), Qusini is reporting that he has checked into the hospital in Hebron, as he appears to have been floored.
I'm trying to find out the story behind the incident, but as of yet, there's no official word from the IDF Spokesperson. Expect updates to this post once I find out what happened there.
Tags: AP REUTERS abed omar qusini nasser shiyoukhi #NewsInFocus
Comments:
DM—
Being receptive to having photographers around or not, the IDF is either a professional army that respects the rights of the press to report on events (fairly or not—see below), or it is no better than the third-world rent-a-crowd thugs that the likes of Chavez and Castro and Mugabe employ.
Sure, the press isn't fair to the IDF. That doesn't give the IDF license to strike out against the journalists who show up to cover their actions. Instead, the IDF should release their own footage of events on the ground, clearly illustrating the bias and mistruths reported by the press. (And to be fair, they're doing a *lot* better about this now than they had been when Snapped Shot first came to be.)
Will have more to report once I finish hearing from everyone involved—To be specific, I'm still waiting on a statement from the IDF, who seems to be in dire need of a mailserver without quota limits.
Regards,
Brian
Actually, I am sort of on DMartyr's side. I do not like the idea of the free-roaming aspect of reporters anyway.
If soldiers are trying to clear an are of anyone. Because, even reporters, can work for the "other" side.
If soldiers feel threatened by the number of people in an area, then they have every right to clear that area out of every single non-soldier. Especially if that area is, was, a "battlefield".
Photogs can't expect to not be free from all contact, from any side, if they place themselves within the MIDDLE of the battle.
How many of our own photojournalists were killed during WW2 and the foreign wars?
I think you might not hear from IDF about this... because it is a non-story exaggerated by possible palestinian-supporting reporters.
Brian -
I agree - biased reporting is no excuse *if* the IDF did, in fact, rough up these photographer without provocation.
Just saying, one can't really blame them given the history between the press and Israel.
(BTW, the "if you are honest" was meant for readers in general, not specifically for you.)
You couldn't really blame the IDF (if you are honest) - everything these reporters write or take a picture of is negative against the IDF or Israel, even to the point of them deliberately misrepresenting and manipulating the facts.
If I were IDF, I'd be a little less than receptive to have these people around me.