‘A PR stunt’: Israeli journalists union blasts IDF raid on Al Jazeera’s Ramallah bureau

23 September 2024, 4:22 pm

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IDF soldiers hand an Al Jazeera reporter a military order directing the closure of his Ramallah office during a raid of the bureau on September 22, 2024. (Screen capture/X)

The Union of Journalists in Israel condemns last week’s “problematic and worrisome” raid and ordered closure of Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah.

“The closure was made under a military order, subject to a confidential opinion, and it is not possible to know what is behind the decision to close the offices,” the union’s statement says.

The raid was also publicized by the IDF “in what appears to be a public relations stunt and nothing more,” the statement continues.

The Union of Journalists in Israel says such moves should be backed by civilian authorities, who can ensure due process, and that the raid “should worry every journalist and every citizen in a democratic country.”