Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced sharp criticism from media activist groups during his visit to Washington, D.C. last week to address the U.S. Congress and hold meetings at the White House. Some of the groups said Netanyahu should be held accountable for the deaths of dozens of journalists covering the war in Gaza.
A majority of U.S. Congress members warmly welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday (7/24). But outside the Congress complex, thousands of people protested his speech.
Press freedom activist group Reporters Without Borders supported the demonstrations. The group’s Middle East chief Jonathan Dagher said, “(We support the demonstrations because of) his refusal as prime minister to take any meaningful steps to stop the massacre of journalists in Gaza and ensure their protection to work in Gaza.”
Reporters Without Borders has filed three lawsuits with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on behalf of journalists, urging an investigation into Netanyahu and the Israeli military. The group says the lawsuits include evidence that the Israeli military has targeted journalists.
Meghnad Bose, a Columbia University student turned journalist who recently won a Pulitzer Prize commendation for his coverage of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on major U.S. campuses, said, “I think the mainstream media has let its partners down by not properly covering the deaths and what appears to be the systematic killing of these journalists since October 2023.”
Earlier this year, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told NBC News that “the IDF has taken all operationally feasible steps to mitigate or reduce the harm to civilians, including journalists. The IDF has never, and will never intentionally target journalists.”
CPJ: At Least 111 Journalists Killed in Gaza Since Oct. 7, 2023
CPJ's Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 111 journalists and media workers have been killed while covering the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, making the conflict the deadliest in journalists since CPJ began keeping track in 1992.
Lebanese AFP photographer Christina Assi survived the IDF's assault on Gaza in October but lost one of her legs. She carried the Olympic torch to Paris on July 21.
“It was amazing and touching to see everyone cheering after we survived the attack that targeted journalists. I hope what we did today can show our respect for all journalists, as well as our friends who have been killed this year,” he said.
Many journalists covering Netanyahu's protest at the Capitol told VOA they have not forgotten the journalists killed in Gaza.
Independent journalist Chris James said: “I think it’s really important that we have journalists speaking out and showing that doing journalism is not a crime. We’ve said that in the conflict in Russia, in the Ukraine, and we should say that in the conflict in Palestine.”
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in May had requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel's defense minister, as well as three Hamas leaders on war crimes charges. Israeli officials say their campaign in Gaza is not aimed at civilians, but at the Hamas militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. (em/jm)
