| by Jonathan Kuttab “And the Light is the test by which people are guilty or not. People love darkness more than the Light because the things they do are sinful” (John 3:19). In 1993, the UN General Assembly declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day, celebrating journalists internationally as agents of freedom and light who inform the world about global conditions, human rights violations, and human suffering. However, there has never in the history of the world been a more blatant example of lethal hostility against journalists and journalism than that of Israel since the war on Gaza started. For a society that pretends to be open and democratic, it was imperative that some semblance of journalistic freedom be maintained. At the same time, Israel realized that its actions in Gaza and elsewhere required that coverage be denied, suppressed, and/or manipulated in order to promote the narrative chosen by the very party denying journalistic access and coverage. So, Israel began targeting journalists as dangerous enemies to be eliminated. The process started as an absolute prohibition on foreign journalists entering Gaza altogether, except perhaps in the company and with the permission of the Israeli army. This involved drastically increasing the censorship of foreign journalists, requiring clearance by the Israeli censor before filing their reports. International organizations with reporters in Jerusalem quickly fell into line, and their reports were not submitted before being cleared by Israeli military censors. A great effort was also made to influence media outlets so they would present only the Israeli army narrative and to discount or minimize any contrary information. Next, the war then turned to journalists inside Gaza, most all of whom were Palestinian but many often worked with and for foreign agencies. These journalists were targeted. They were physically liquidated, sometimes with their families, and often at the hands of AI technology such as Lavender and “Daddy’s Home” to ensure that the killing occurred as they returned home to be with their families. The number of journalists killed in Gaza (~300) has surpassed the number of journalists killed in both world wars, both gulf wars, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. Instead of providing a measure of protection for journalists, visible designations like press vests and helmets and other press credentials became explicit targets for Israeli snipers and drones. The silence of media outlets regarding these outrages committed against journalists is both astonishing and shameful. This same policy has extended to Lebanon, illustrated by the recent targeting and murder of journalist Amal Khalil on April 23 as she covered Israeli strikes in South Lebanon. She was specifically warned by the Israeli army that she would be killed if she continued to report on Israeli actions in South Lebanon. Instead, she courageously broadcasted the fact that her life was being threatened. She insisted that as a Lebanese citizen and a journalist she would continue to report on the truth of what was happening, about the forced ethnic cleansing of whole areas of Lebanon, of Israel forcing our Lebanese citizens out and systematically destroying whole towns and villages to the ground to make them uninhabitable. The very next day, a drone targeted her clearly marked press car, wounding both her and her colleague. Then, Israel attacked the ambulances seeking to provide her with medical assistance. When she was carried to a nearby house, Israel bombed the house as well. Her death was the result of a determined and deliberate assassination. Israel first prevented journalistic access and then engaged in a murderous campaign against journalists themselves. Next, the suppression of truth continued with an attack on social media, where citizen-journalists have been posting videos and evidence of ongoing atrocities. Netanyahu boasted that he had engineered the takeover of TikTok in order to control its coverage and that Twitter was the next target. He bragged that he would use his massive influence to purchase and control various outlets on behalf of the Zionist project. This is not an antisemitic trope about “Jewish control of the press,” but a direct reporting of the massive amounts of money and influence successfully used to ensure the silence of the press and that facts remain hidden. Indeed, many Palestinian social media accounts and influencer accounts posting pro-Palestinian content, pictures, and videos have been cut off and their reach, sometimes even to hundreds of thousands of followers, has been cut off or drastically reduced. Major newspapers, TV and radio stations, and other media outlets report massive pressure to broadcast only the Israeli narrative and to silence or water down reporting of Israeli actions. Even “venerable institutions” like the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) fell in line. A leaked secret document revealed that reporters were provided a list of specific terms they could not use in reporting about Israel and its actions. Despite all this, the truth has been coming out. Thanks to dedicated journalists who risk so much, even their own lives, and others who risk being blacklisted and the loss of their careers or the possibility of professional advancement, light is being shed and truth is being told. We must also do our part by working hard to find alternative sources of news and information, to remain open to new narratives, and to be discerning and critical of the news we receive even from “respected” media outlets. |
