Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Journalist Amira Hass Arrested & Barred from Gaza

Hot on the heels of our previous posting today, by journalist Amira Hass, Haaretz has issued news of her arrest by Israeli police today (Tuesday, May 12th). This is one more instance, among many, of the heightened, violent repression of dissenting voices in Israel today. It is also part of the ongoing attempt by Israel to suppress detailed and accurate information about the reality of its attack against the Gaza Strip earlier this year.

Rela Mazali

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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1084996.html

w w w . h a a r e t z . c o m

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Last update - 19:37 12/05/2009
Haaretz reporter Amira Hass arrested upon leaving Gaza
By Haaretz Service

Israel Police on Tuesday detained Haaretz correspondent Amira Hass upon her exit from the Gaza Strip, where she had been living and reporting over the last few months.

Hass was arrested and taken in for questioning immediately after crossing the border, for violating a law which forbids residence in an enemy state. She was released on bail after promising not to enter the Gaza Strip over the next 30 days.

Hass is the first Israeli journalist to enter the Gaza Strip in more than two years, since the Israel Defense Forces issued an entry ban following the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in a 2006 cross-border raid by Palestinian militants.

Last December, Hass was arrested by soldiers at the Erez Checkpoint as she tried to cross into Israel after having entered the Gaza Strip aboard a ship run by peace activists from Europe.

Upon discovering that she had no permit to be in Gaza, the soldiers transferred her to the Sderot police.

When questioned, Hass pointed out that no one had stopped her from entering the Strip, which she did for work purposes.

Hass was released then under restriction, and Nahmani said her case would be sent to court.

Israel Press Council chairwoman Dalia Dorner, a former Supreme Court justice, commented then that even journalists are subject to the law and the council cannot defend a reporter who breaks the law. Instead, she said, local journalists ought to petition the High Court of Justice against the army's order.

Related articles:

Amira Hass returns to Gaza after a two-year absence

Amira Hass / Palestinian doctor killed by IDF while treating Gaza wounded

Too many authorities

It depends who is doing the torturing


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Joel Beinin
Racheli Gai
Rela Mazali
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1 comment:

  1. I'm a bit disappointed with the lack of intelligence within this article.

    All developed and undeveloped countries in the world rely on security. It's also the requirement of every government to protect it's citizens.

    Imagine if a rocket landed from Mexico into California and killed people. What would the US elevate in that region? Security!

    They don't do this because it employees people - sure that is an indirect result. This is done to avoid civilian casualties.

    ISRAEL DOES WANT PEACE! What they do not want is to give away their homeland in exchange for it.

    That's like California saying - okay you've been combing San Diego for years. Here - take California .. we'll just move our people to Arizona and by the way, that 7th largest economy in the world we created in California, the state that has a larger GDP than all of Germany.. take it too!!!

    Only in Israel, they don't have an "Arizona" to go to. It's a very small country in an unfortunate region.

    ReplyDelete

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