Israel returns seized AP equipment after stopping Gaza video feed
Israeli officials seized equipment from the Associated Press and shut down its long-standing video feed of northern Gaza on Tuesday, saying the wire service ran afoul of a new foreign press law that the Israeli government used to ban Al Jazeera.
But officials seemed to reverse course just hours later, after mounting criticism from free press advocates and direct entreaties from the White House.
In a statement, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said that the country’s Defense Ministry wanted to investigate potential security risks posed by the broadcasts. Now, he added, he has “ordered to cancel the operation and return the equipment.”
While the Associated Press acknowledged Karhi’s announcement that Israel would return the equipment, a spokesperson said that “we remain concerned about the Israeli government’s use of the foreign broadcaster law and the ability of independent journalists to operate freely in Israel.”
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It was not clear if this also meant the Associated Press could resume its live feed from Sderot, in southern Israel. A representative for the Communications Ministry said “the broadcast subject from the location in Sderot is under consideration of relevant factors.”
Israel shuttered Qatar-based Al Jazeera’s operations in the country earlier this month after passing a new law citing alleged national security concerns.
The Associated Press had been sharing its broadcast feed with thousands of news outlets around the world. But that stopped on Tuesday when the Israeli Communications Ministry went to the AP’s office in Sderot and confiscated equipment, saying that the video feed was now illegal because Al Jazeera was among the news outlets with access to it.
Free press advocates blasted the move, portraying it an escalation of an effort to restrict coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
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The White House also offered criticism, albeit reserved, calling the action “concerning,” and revealed that administration officials had directly asked Israel to reverse course.
“The free press is an essential pillar of democracy and members of the media, including AP, do vital work that must be respected,” said National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
Israeli officials had confiscated a camera, tripod, modem and two microphones. In a statement, the ministry said it had warned the AP last week to stop transmitting the feed to Al Jazeera. “However they decided to continue broadcasting on the channel causing a real harm to the security of the state.”
The ministry said the equipment was used to film the shot of northern Gaza that was shared live on Al Jazeera, “including the activities of the IDF forces and endanger[ing] our fighters.”
The Associated Press said it “complies with Israel’s military censorship rules” by not reporting details about troop movements that could endanger soldiers. However, the wire service noted, its live shot of Gaza generally showed little more than “smoke rising over the territory.”
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Israel’s Foreign Press Association called the Israeli government move to extend its crackdown to the AP a “slippery slope.”
“Today’s outrageous move also blocks AP from providing crucial images of northern Gaza to all other media outlets around the world,” it said in a statement. “Israel could block other international news agencies providing live footage of Gaza. It also could allow Israel to block media coverage of virtually any news event on vague security grounds.”
In the United States, National Press Club President Emily Wilkins called it “part of a pattern of aggression against journalism organizations by Israel” and said that shutting down the AP feed has ramifications for news organizations around the world since it is “the only remaining live element from Gaza for many broadcasters worldwide,” she said.
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While Israel and Egypt have closed the Gaza Strip to foreign journalists, Al Jazeera correspondents from Gaza have provided continuous and highly critical coverage of the war from inside the territory since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Several of its staffers and their family members have been killed during the war.
Israel has long accused Al Jazeera of bias, claiming that it perpetuates propaganda that serves the interests of Hamas.
In April, Israeli lawmakers voted 71-10 to give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government the ability to ban Al Jazeera operations in Israel. Netanyahu said the network “harmed the security of Israel.” Al Jazeera has since relocated its Jerusalem bureau to Amman, Jordan; it continues to report from the West Bank and Gaza.
Al Jazeera’s sponsor, Qatar, is a key mediator in cease-fire negotiations between Hamas and Israel. The country has hosted Hamas political leadership since 2012 at the request of the United States but has faced recent pressure to expel the group.
On Tuesday, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the seizure of AP equipment by Netanyahu’s government, calling it “madness,” and drawing a distinction between the AP and the Qatar-based news network.
“This is not Al-Jazeera, but an American media outlet" that has won dozens of Pulitzer Prizes, Lapid noted in a statement.
Soroka reported from Tel Aviv.
correction
A previous version of this story included a quote from Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid hailing the Associated Press by noting it has won 53 Pulitzer Prizes. In fact, it has won 59. The story has been updated.
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