Far-right minister criticizes journalists for ‘whining’ about harassment amid uptick in violent threats

Far-right Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu refuses to condemn rising incitement against journalists and instead criticizes those targeted for “whining” about it, a day after broadcast agencies warned of a sharp uptick in incitement against journalists.

Threatening graffiti was spray-painted outside the offices of the Channel 13 news network in Tel Aviv yesterday, and a week ago right-wing activists were filmed harassing Channel 12 correspondent Guy Peleg.

Peleg has come under fire from the right over his airing of leaked footage from the Sde Teiman holding facility last year depicting soldiers’ alleged abuse of a Gazan detainee.

“I want to condemn Guy Peleg and his whining,” Eliyahu tells Kan radio when asked specifically if he wants to condemn the increasing threats against media personalities.

“So they’re harassing him,” Eliyahu says dismissively, claiming that Peleg himself contributed to the harassment of public officials and right-wing journalists. “He tarnished IDF soldiers and the State of Israel around the world.”

“There is no protest without public disturbances,” he says, paraphrasing remarks made by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara about the anti-government protest movement, and suggesting that the harassment of the veteran Channel 12 journalist should be viewed as legitimate public protest.

“He could ask for forgiveness from all the people of Israel, and I assume then they’ll stop [harassing him],” he suggests.

Asked if he is going so far as to endorse the threats against Peleg and against journalists as a whole, Eliyahu appears to respond in the affirmative, warning that “the media should not think of itself as a protected flower here in Israel.”