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Washington Post Reporter Is Briefly Detained by Israel Washington Post Reporter Is Briefly Detained by Israel
(35 minutes later)
The Israeli authorities briefly detained The Washington Post’s Jerusalem bureau chief, William Booth, on Tuesday while he was conducting interviews near the Damascus Gate, one of the entrances to the Old City, according to The Post. JERUSALEM — The Israeli authorities briefly detained The Washington Post’s Jerusalem bureau chief, William Booth, on Tuesday while he was conducting interviews near the Damascus Gate, one of the entrances to the Old City, according to the authorities and the newspaper.
Mr. Booth and an employee of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel were reportedly accused of “incitement,” the newspaper Haaretz reported, but they were released soon after. Mr. Booth and another Post employee were quickly released. The Foreign Ministry later issued a statement calling the episode “regrettable” and praising Mr. Booth’s work, and the Government Press Office called the episode “an unfortunate misunderstanding.”
Kris Coratti, a spokeswoman for The Post, said in an email that Mr. Booth was detained by the Israel border police for about 30 minutes. “While Booth has now been released,” she said, “we regard the detention of any of our journalists anywhere as extremely troubling.” Kris Coratti, a spokeswoman for The Post, said in an email that Mr. Booth had been detained by the Israel border police for about 30 minutes. “While Booth has now been released,” she said, “we regard the detention of any of our journalists anywhere as extremely troubling.”
Mr. Booth is a veteran correspondent for The Post, having served as a bureau chief in Mexico, Miami and Los Angeles; as a pop culture correspondent; and as a reporter covering conflicts on several continents. Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman, said that officers had been enforcing security measures around the Damascus Gate, where Palestinians have carried out several stabbings, attempted stabbings and shooting attacks in the last four months. The measures prohibit Palestinians from sitting around in the area.
A police spokeswoman, Luba Samri, said in a statement: “A passer-by complained that he witnessed a number of people intending to stage a provocative situation and disturbances by young Arabs toward policemen responsible for security in the area, apparently for propaganda purposes. In view of the complaint, the policemen detained a number of suspects in order to clarify the facts in a sensitive and discreet manner at the nearby police facility.”
She added: “When the details of the incident were clarified and no suspicion at all of criminal activity was raised, the detainees were released immediately by the investigating officer without any other steps taken in the matter.”
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “This is a regrettable incident, casting an unnecessary shadow over the work of an excellent journalist. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will ask the police for the necessary clarifications.”
Mr. Booth is a veteran correspondent for The Post, having served as a bureau chief in Mexico City, Miami and Los Angeles; as a pop culture correspondent; and as a reporter covering conflicts on several continents.
Last month, The Post’s Tehran bureau chief, Jason Rezaian, was freed after being detained for nearly 18 months by the Iranian authorities.Last month, The Post’s Tehran bureau chief, Jason Rezaian, was freed after being detained for nearly 18 months by the Iranian authorities.
Mr. Rezaian and three other Americans of Iranian ancestry were freed as part of a delicately negotiated swap with the United States, which released seven Iranians who had been held for sanctions violations.Mr. Rezaian and three other Americans of Iranian ancestry were freed as part of a delicately negotiated swap with the United States, which released seven Iranians who had been held for sanctions violations.
The most recent annual report by the research organization Freedom House says that Israel “enjoys a lively, pluralistic media environment in which press freedom is generally respected,” but government officials have recently been critical of foreign journalists.The most recent annual report by the research organization Freedom House says that Israel “enjoys a lively, pluralistic media environment in which press freedom is generally respected,” but government officials have recently been critical of foreign journalists.
“We will consider revoking press cards from journalists and editors who are negligent in their work and give headlines that are opposite from reality,” Nitzan Chen, the head of the Government Press Office, wrote on Facebook on February 3. “We will consider revoking press cards from journalists and editors who are negligent in their work and give headlines that are opposite from reality,” Nitzan Chen, the head of the Government Press Office, wrote on Facebook on Feb. 3.
He was complaining about a post on Twitter from Al Jazeera and a CBS News headline, which reported that the authorities had killed three Palestinians near Damascus Gate — without also noting that the men were believed to have attacked a border police officer. (The CBS headline was changed.) He was complaining about a post on Twitter from Al Jazeera and a CBS News headline, which reported that the authorities had killed three Palestinians near the Damascus Gate — without also noting that the men had attacked border police officers with automatic weapons and knives. One of the border police officers died of her wounds. (The CBS headline was changed.)
Mr. Chen issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying his office would examine the matter.
“The Government Press Office regrets today’s incident at Damascus Gate, in which a correspondent for The Washington Post was unnecessarily detained by the Border Police — probably the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding,” Mr. Chen said. “Freedom of the press is a supreme value in the Israeli democracy. Israel is doing its utmost to enable the foreign press to work freely, without any pressure. We call upon the security forces and journalists to act with restraint and to avoid confrontations during these tense times. The G.P.O. endeavors to prevent such incidents; we shall examine today’s events and draw the necessary conclusions.”