BICOM

Israel’s Government press office decided not to revoke Elias Karram’s press accreditation, after he was accused of being an “active partner in Palestinian resistance”.

Karram, an Israeli citizen from Nazareth, has held a press card as an Al-Jazeera reporter since 2011. The Government Press Office (GPO) made its decision following an investigation and hearing.

The original accusation stems from a 2016 interview he did with the Islamic Brotherhood Dar al-Iman television station in which he said that “as a Palestinian journalist in an occupied area or in a conflict zone, media work is an integral part of the resistance and its educational political activity. The journalist fulfills his role in the opposition with the pen, voice or camera because he is part of this people and he carries out resistance in his unique way”.

In the hearing Karram said he was speaking in generalities about the role of Palestinian journalists and not referring directly about himself.

He added that “resistance” means to be against the occupation of the West Bank, not against the existence of the State of Israel, and that he did not accept any call for incitement or violence.

The GPO said: “Following his remarks, it was decided to defer the suspension of his GPO card for six months, during which his press reports will be monitored.”

Nitzan Chen, the director of the GPO, cited press freedom as the decision not to revoke Karram’s press card. However, he noted that the GPO “cannot accept a situation where an official document issued by the State of Israel serves as a tool for those wishing to exploit it for a public struggle against the state”.

He noted that “Al Jazeera has recently had a number of reports that do not fit the standards of professional factual reporting”.

Last month Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Communications Minister Ayoub Kara accused the Qatari-based broadcaster of inciting violence and announced steps to close Al-Jazeera’s offices in Israel.

MK Nachman Shai of the Zionist Union said that taking away Karrem’s press card “was a bad idea from the start”. He added that unfavourable press coverage “can be defeated with careful appraisal and with savvy. But Israel has forgotten what soft power is, and it hits out hard. That’s a mistake”.