Ma'an News 23 Ottobre 2008

Bethlehem: Israel is among the worst violators of press freedom beyond its own borders on earth, according to a report by the French press freedom watchdog published on Wednesday.

Out of the 160 countries ranked by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Israel came in 149th on the list for press freedom beyond its own borders. Israel ranked 103rd on the same list in 2007.

The Jewish state’s nearly 50-point plummet was likely influenced by the death of Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana in April. He was killed by an Israeli tank in Gaza, when a soldier targeted him with a shell loaded with darts.

No action was taken over the incident, about which a lawyer for the Israeli armed forces claimed the tank operators “could not see” whether Shana had been “operating a camera or a weapon,” but that he was “nevertheless justified in firing” at the Reuters cameraman.

Israel moved up on another list, however, in respect to freedom of the press within its own country.

Source >  Ma'an News | oct 22