Dozens of House Democrats are urging President Joe Biden to end Israel’s ban on foreign journalism and attacks on journalists in Gaza, saying that press freedom in the Strip is “more critical than ever” as Israel embarks on a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign against all Palestinians left alive in north Gaza.
In a letter sent to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this month, the Democrats said that it is far past time for the U.S. to pressure Israel to allow independent access to foreign journalists into Gaza. At the same time, they warned that Israel has made Gaza the most dangerous place on Earth for journalists.
“In July, over 70 media and civil society organizations signed an open letter calling on Israel to grant journalists access to Gaza,” the lawmakers went on. “Yet foreign media remains largely prohibited from entering the region, except for a few controlled trips arranged by the Israeli military. This effective ban on foreign reporting has placed an overwhelming burden on local journalists who are documenting the war they are living through.”
The lawmakers cited press freedom groups that have found that Israel has killed over 140 journalists and media workers amid its genocide, amounting to over 10 percent of workers in the field in Gaza — a disproportionately high amount compared to the reported deaths of the population at large.
The letter effort was led by Rep. Jim McGovern (Massachusetts), the top Democrat on the House human rights commission. It was signed by 64 other members of the House, including outspoken anti-Zionist advocates like Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) and Cori Bush (D-Missouri).
“At a time when reliable information is more critical than ever, the restrictions on foreign reporting undermine the very foundation of press freedom and democratic accountability. We urge the administration to take immediate action to advocate for unrestricted independent media access to Gaza,” the group wrote.
Israeli forces have targeted journalists throughout the genocide, with some journalists even receiving threats about their coverage of the horrific conditions Israel has created in Gaza. Numerous press freedom and humanitarian rights groups have noted Israel’s clear pattern of targeting journalists. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have conducted a concerted censorship campaign, banning Al Jazeera from Israel and shutting down the outlet’s office in the occupied West Bank.
But Israeli officials have faced no consequences for their suppression of the press, despite numerous complaints filed against Israel in the International Criminal Court for war crimes against journalists.
A group of 18 press and human rights groups, led by the Committee to Protect Journalists, have also signed a letter supporting the Democrats’ effort.
“[Journalists] who remain in Gaza are working in conditions of extreme deprivation and face intimidation, violence, and arrest by Israeli authorities. Many have lost their limbs, homes, or families. They work in an eviscerated media landscape: amongst the large-scale destruction of media offices and equipment, persistent internet shutdowns, and cyberattacks on the media,” the letter says. “This creates a vacuum for propaganda and mis- and disinformation, and undermines the public’s right to know about the devastating impact of the Israel-Gaza war.”
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
As a dizzying number of corporate news organizations – either through need or greed – rush to implement new ways to further monetize their content, and others acquiesce to Trump’s wishes, now is a time for movement media-makers to double down on community-first models.
At Truthout, we are reaffirming our commitments on this front: We won’t run ads or have a paywall because we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that access should exist without barriers and free of distractions from craven corporate interests. We recognize the implications for democracy when information-seekers click a link only to find the article trapped behind a paywall or buried on a page with dozens of invasive ads. The laws of capitalism dictate an unending increase in monetization, and much of the media simply follows those laws. Truthout and many of our peers are dedicating ourselves to following other paths – a commitment which feels vital in a moment when corporations are evermore overtly embedded in government.
Over 80 percent of Truthout‘s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and the remaining 20 percent comes from a handful of social justice-oriented foundations. Over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors, many of whom give because they want to help us keep Truthout barrier-free for everyone.
You can help by giving today during our fundraiser. We have 6 days to add 379 new monthly donors. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger gift, Truthout only works with your support.