From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Lapid slams ‘act of madness’ in seizing AP equipment, says Karhi determined to have Israel ‘ostracized all over the world’
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi after officials confiscated a camera and broadcasting equipment belonging to The Associated Press in southern Israel, calling the seizure “an act of madness.”
Karhi accused the news organization of violating a new media law by providing images to Al Jazeera. The AP denounced the move, saying that the Qatari satellite channel is among thousands of clients that receive live video feeds from the US news agency.
“The confiscation of the equipment of AP, the largest news agency in the world, by Shlomo Karhi’s men, is an act of madness. This is not Al Jazeera, this is an American media outlet that has won 53 Pulitzer Prizes,” Lapid says.
“This government behaves as if it has decided to make sure, at any cost, that Israel will be ostracized all over the world.”
Responding to Lapid, Karhi tweets that his men are “dedicated professionals” who uphold the law.
“By the way,” he responds, “even if you decide to become a freelancer for a terrorist channel that endangers our fighters and broadcast the locations of our forces to them with your camera, I will make sure that the Communications Ministry inspectors reach you. Shame.”
The so-called Al Jazeera law, which gives the government temporary powers to prevent foreign news networks from operating in Israel if they are deemed to be harming national security, passed its second and third readings in the Knesset plenum last month — paving the way for raids on its Jerusalem and Nazareth offices.
