After successful enforcement actions against hostile broadcasts, it has been decided that foreign journalists will be required to obtain prior approval from military censorship for any broadcasts during combat.
Following successful enforcement measures against Al Jazeera broadcasts and other transmissions that violated censorship regulations and endangered national security, a significant tightening of oversight on foreign broadcasts from Israel during warfare has been agreed upon.
In a joint statement from Communications Minister Shlomo Karji and National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, it was announced that foreign journalists wishing to broadcast from combat zones or missile impact sites will be required to obtain prior written approval from the military censor.
According to the directive, any live or recorded broadcast without the appropriate approval will be considered a criminal offense and a violation of censorship regulations.
The statement from the two ministers read: “We will not allow media chaos during wartime. We will not provide a platform to hostile entities operating under the guise of journalism that endanger our forces and the security of the state.”
Following this, the head of the Government Press Office, Nitzan Chen, issued an official notice to the media, which stated: “The GPO clarifies today that any live or recorded broadcast from a combat zone or missile impact site requires prior written approval from censorship regarding the location and the way it is described before the broadcast is made. After receiving written approval from the censor, there is no obstacle to broadcasting live or recorded, all according to the approval received from the censor.”
Karhi said: “Freedom of the press does not override the security of our citizens and soldiers. We will not allow the transfer of information to the enemy under the guise of ‘journalistic broadcast.’ Just like Israeli journalists, we are subjecting foreign journalists in Israel to censorship regulations—for the benefit of Israel’s security.”
Ben-Gvir added: “The media anarchy of foreign journalists is over. We will not allow entities serving Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran, directly or indirectly, to broadcast from the territory of the State of Israel. Anyone who does not adhere to the security rules will be dealt with by the Israel Police.”
