The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the military targeting of Palestinian media by Israeli forces.
In a statement faxed to Albawaba.com Saturday (IFJ) confirmed that it does not accept that allegations of “propaganda” against one side or another justify the use of military force against media organizations or media staff.
The (IFJ) rejects all forms of pressure on journalists, the statement said, which make it impossible for media to work professionally and which severely compromise the physical safety of staff.
The two-week-old statement repudiates attempts to intimidate and manipulate media by all sides in the conflict as wholly unjustified assaults on press freedom.
Generally, the statement expressed solidarity with members of its affiliates and other media workers who have been the victims and who face daily discrimination at the hands of the authorities.
The Executive Committee of the IFJ agreed to launch an international solidarity to provide urgent help and assistance to journalists and media staff and their families who are the victims of violence and to make the Safety Fund available.
It also agreed to reinforce calls for international action by stressing the need for all sides to respect the Geneva Conventions and protocols that prohibit targeting of media and journalists, and to demand that media organizations and all sides in the conflict respect the IFJ Code of Practice for the Safe Conduct of Journalists.
Finally, the statement agreed to send an urgent mission to the region in consultation with their affiliates in Israel and Palestine to express solidarity with media staff and to examine what else can be done to protect journalists.
The raging violence, which broke out in the Palestinian territories some nine weeks ago, has witnessed the assault of several journalists one of whom was Ben Wedmann the CNN reporter.
The mid aged man received a bullet in his lower body during clashes in the territories in late October. Wedmann received first aid on the hands of the Palestinian doctors who diagnosed his injury as “light” -- Albawaba.com
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