Foreign Press Association slams police’s High Court proposal to limit media coverage

The Foreign Press Association releases a statement rejecting the Israel Police’s proposals submitted to the High Court of Justice that aim to limit media coverage of public events.

The procedures were presented by the police as part of a High Court Court case in which representatives of the FPA along with rights groups have petitioned against police procedures that allow Israeli authorities to prevent reporters and photographers from covering events of public interest.

The FPA says that it objects to several of the proposed rule changes including the right claimed by police to restrict reporters’ access when “the entry of the media personnel shall lead to a severe infringement of a person’s privacy,” or “there is real concern for severe harm to the bodily integrity of the media personnel if access shall be permitted,” or “there is real concern that the entry of the media personnel will escalate a violent atmosphere to a level which could endanger human lives.”

The petition follows several incidents in which FPA members were banned by police from covering events in and around Jerusalem and included a number of cases where reporters were allegedly assaulted by authorities.

“While we respect the court-ordered dialogue with police, these proposed procedures remain far too vague and open the door for excessive and arbitrary restrictions,” says FPA chairman Josef Federman.

“Access to the Temple Mount has been heavily restricted over the past 18 months, thereby imposing a frequent media blackout on the most important site in the region,” Federman adds.