The Press and Communications Council in Israel contacted the IDF Spokesperson's Unit to request an urgent meeting after allegations of selective enforcement against journalists covering this week's events in the village of Kusra.
The allegations came following reports that only a Channel 14 reporter was allowed to enter the village, located in the West Bank, and broadcast from there, while other reporters were denied entry.
However, according to IDF officials who spoke with Maariv, the Channel 14 reporter did not receive official authorization and entered the area on his own initiative.
The council clarified that it recognizes the IDF's authority to declare an area closed in accordance with security needs and considerations, but argued that a problem arises when restrictions are not applied equally to all media outlets.
According to the council, distinguishing between journalists permitted to enter an area and those denied entry could harm freedom of the press and the public's right to receive information about what is happening at the scene.
Journalists seek to provide public with accurate picture, Press Council says
The Press Council emphasized that journalists, both Israeli and foreign, seek to fulfill their role and provide the public with an accurate picture of the situation on the ground, and that the military must allow them to do so equally, subject to security restrictions.
The council demanded that the IDF allow equal freedom of movement for all journalists, review existing procedures and prevent, in its words, discrimination between media outlets. The council also called for the eradication of “improper norms of abuse of power and discrimination against media outlets," and for the renewal and implementation of equal procedures on the matter.