LONDON: Over 100 journalists have sent a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Joe Biden administration to impose an arms embargo on Israel, in response to what they view as the continued attacks on Palestinian reporters in Gaza.
The letter, signed by 113 journalists, seven press freedom organizations, and 20 news outlets, accuses the US of complicity in Israel’s actions due to its unwavering support for Tel Aviv.
“Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 160 Palestinian journalists. This is the largest recorded number of journalists killed in any war.
“While Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of the densely populated Gaza means no civilians are safe, Israel has also … repeatedly documented deliberately targeting journalists,” the letter stated.
“Israel’s military actions are not possible without US weapons, US military aid, and US diplomatic support. By providing the weapons being used to deliberately kill journalists, you are complicit in one of the gravest affronts to press freedom today.”
The letter also accused Tel Aviv of suppressing media coverage of its actions in Gaza.
These efforts include internet outages, military censorship imposed on both domestic and international journalists, barring foreign reporters from entering Gaza, and banning Al Jazeera from the country under the pretext of national security.
“Israel’s deliberate targeting of journalists follows a longstanding pattern by the Israeli government to suppress truthful reporting on its treatment of Palestinians and its war in Gaza,” the letter stated.
The appeal underscores the seriousness of Israel’s actions against journalists, which have been widely documented long before the current conflict began on Oct. 7.
It stresses that targeting journalists is a war crime under international law. And notes that US law prohibits aiding foreign forces involved in human rights violations, pointing to Israel’s record of extrajudicial killings of journalists as a clear breach.
This appeal is the latest in a series of largely ignored calls to action.
In April, more than two dozen Palestinian journalists urged American journalists to boycott the annual White House correspondents’ dinner.
In July, over 60 organizations demanded that Israeli authorities allow free and unrestricted media access to Gaza, citing the “unreasonable and untenable burden” placed on local journalists to document events.
This news coincides with a report from the International Federation of Journalists revealing that reporters covering the conflict are dying at a rate significantly higher than other professions.
The report indicates that over 12 percent of Gazan journalists have been killed, suggesting that the “unusually high” mortality rate points to media workers being deliberately targeted by the Israeli military.
