From PM’s office spokesman boots reporters from WhatsApp group; journalist decries ‘bullying’
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
The Prime Minister’s Office kicks two reporters out of its WhatsApp group for members of Israel’s diplomatic reporters’ pool.
“The Prime Minister’s spokesman Omer Dostri acts as if the office of Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson is his personal resource,” writes Kan diplomatic reporter Suleiman Maswadeh on X, “and decides to punish me and [Kan political reporter] Michael Shemesh after our series of publications, and in a vengeful manner removes us from the prime minister’s general circulation. This is bullying by Dostri.”
Yesterday, the two reported that Dostri had been reprimanded by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to stem public criticism of Netanyahu’s extended stay in Washington while hostages were being released, and for a recent statement that was retracted after it implied that Israel has approved a list of hostages published by Hamas.
“More fake news as part of a personal campaign that two bitter reporters, Michael Shemesh and Suleiman Maswadeh, are managing against the prime minister’s spokesman,” wrote Dostri on Facebook yesterday. “Prime Minister Netanyahu gives his full backing to his spokesman Dr. Omer Dostri.”
The PMO claims the two revealed that a statement given by an “Israeli official” was sent by Dostri.
“Like everyone, the Prime Minister’s Office is also entitled to protection under the rules of basic journalistic ethics, including confidentiality of sources,” says the PMO in a statement. “As we have made clear several times in the past: Anyone who chooses to violate the basic accepted rules will not receive cooperation from the prime minister’s spokesperson’s office.”
Last year, Dostri removed Channel 13’s Moriah Asraf from the PMO’s communication lists after she revealed that he was the “Israeli official” behind a statement.
Created in 2014, the diplomatic correspondents’ pool is a small association of reporters from Israel’s leading publications who cover the Prime Minister’s Office and Israel’s relations with other countries, and travel with Israel’s leaders abroad. The Times of Israel’s Lazar Berman and Tal Schneider are members of the pool.
