TARGETING JOURNALISTS
(Article by Meir Suissa, Kol HaZman, p.50, 14.2.2003)
[Translation provided by Israel Government Press Office]

Al-Raya, the publication of the Islamic Jihad, printed a threatening
article against Zev Schiff. Ronen Bergman received information that a
terrorist organization knows which restaurants he frequents. Yoram Binur
was accused of collaborating with the Zionist enemy, and the ISA
increased security around another journalist's home. This is how
Palestinian terrorist organizations are attempting to tame the Israeli
watchdogs of democracy. A phenomenon.

Approximately two weeks ago the official publication of the Islamic
Jihad in Gaza, Al-Raya (The Flag), printed a personal and reasoned
column under the heading "For Zev Schiff." The editorial of the Islamic
Jihad mouthpiece chose to refer directly to the writings of the military
correspondent of the Ha'aretz newspaper, Zev Schiff, demonstrating their
expertise in the material as it is presented and read by the other side.
Israel is still surprised to discover, each time, the degree to which
the Palestinians are familiar with Israeli politics, society and media.
Israeli media personalities, those who cover events in the Territories,
are no longer surprised. For Schiff, this was a theoretical debate. In
response to the text he had written about the failure of the intifada,
Al-Raya decided to try and use words to prove it has succeeded. "Ehud
Ya'ari came to me two weeks ago and said there was an article in the
Islamic Jihad publication about what I had written," Schiff says. "This
isn't new for me. They read and are interested more than we think. Today
they are trying to win over Israeli journalists, and they want to reach
as much of the Israeli public as possible, so as to compete for public
opinion."

Schiff speaks of winning over and interest, even though the Palestinian
terrorist organizations have decided, at this point in time, to operate
in other ways as well, with regard to the bodies that cover them. Much
of the evidence that has been gathered testifies to their following
journalists, some of whom have become outright targets. Recently a
senior member of the Islamic Jihad was arrested for planning to
assassinate an Israeli reporter. Details of the incident are classified,
but according to the indictment it appears that the organization had the
reporter's personal details, including photos of him, his home address
and that of his family, his workplace, and the restaurants he frequents.
The journalist received specific information from the ISA concerning the
arrest of the Islamic Jihad member, and was briefed accordingly. Today
he carries a weapon and his home is well protected.

Two months ago a worldwide terror network was exposed, which was
activated by the Al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigade. The organization, based in
Nablus, was instructed by activists abroad to listen into the
conversations of another Israeli journalist and record them. The
terrorist cell obeyed the instructions: Its members tapped into the
reporter's conversations for ten days, and at the end of the mission the
tapes were sent to the operators overseas to be transcribed. These are
only two examples, but they are not the only reporters who are presently
in the firing line of terror's new front.

Security and ISA briefings
Up until a year and a half ago, journalist Moshe Cohen served as Channel
One's reporter in the Territories. He decided to retire after working
for six and a half years. "A year and a half ago I was told unofficially
that someone intended to kidnap me," he recounts. "The source who passed
the information along to me was a known Israeli source, but the way in
which the information was given was unofficial. When the current
intifada broke out, it was made clear to me that people from the Fatah
Tanzim in Bethlehem intend to kidnap me and murder me. In light of that
information I decided to take several steps: I decided to spend as
little time as possible in the Territories, in order to reduce the
amount of contact and conflict. At the same time, I updated the Israel
Broadcasting Authority's security officer and was given a secure parking
space, as well as other means aimed at protecting me. The information
given to me referred to an attempt on my life, with my name mentioned
specifically, along with that of a journalist from a large national
newspaper.

"This, of course, is a very unpleasant feeling. You keep a low profile
for several weeks until the anger subsides, and you hope the threat is
not concrete. There's nothing you can do, this is the type of work I do,
you take this kind of risk. Soldiers and settlers are always being
targeted, now reporters, too. The Al-Qaeda organization is inclined to
boast of its intentions to kidnap foreign journalists, like Daniel Pearl
who was murdered in Afghanistan. The picture of a famous journalist
being held captive is just as powerful as that of a senior officer being
kidnapped. In terms of the shock value it can generate, it is similar to
a terrorist attack with numerous victims."

Ronen Bergman, a reporter for Yediot Ahronot and author of the book,
Authority Given about the Palestinian Authority, discovered five years
ago that he was under constant surveillance by Islamic Jihad activists.
Details relating to Bergman were found in one of the organization's
offices in Gaza, including places where he spent time, telephone numbers
of his family members and some of his friends, his home address and
other details about him. In light of the genuine threat to his life,
Bergman was briefed by ISA personnel. "This incident, as far as I'm
concerned, has never ended," he said this week. "I know it had a
beginning, but I don't know what it has in store for me."

In his book, Bergman exposed the extent of the widespread corruption
among senior officials in the Palestinian Authority, and he backs up his
findings with dozens of testimonies and classified documents. "One month
before the book was published I received generalized threats. I didn't
panic, I'm used to this, and I don't react to every piece of
information. Six years ago I received a notice from the ISA that during
a raid conducted by the IDF and the ISA they found many details about me
in one of the Jihad offices, including my father's phone number (who was
one of the first scientists at the Dimona Reactor - MS). I don't know
what they did with the information they collected on me. In any case, I
am taking a series of security measures in light of that information.
Even when I was writing my book I received messages from agents on the
Palestinian side, who wanted me to stop writing it. The threats were
generalized, in contrast with the details found in Gaza, where
intelligence work was used to gather the information."

How can you explain the fact that journalists have become a target for
terrorists?

"First of all a terrorist organization, by its very nature, must always
invest resources in gathering intelligence on-line about interesting
figures who are gaining power, about various social developments, etc.
Since the Palestinian Authority has come into power, it understands the
importance of intelligence gathering. Jibril Rajoub's Preventive
Security Organization used to operate a unit that dealt specifically
with wiretaps and intelligence gathering. Regarding journalists, the
truth is I don't understand what good it does them. I don't understand
why the organization sought me out specifically, I don't understand what
good it would have done in trying to take me out. Their agenda doesn't
mention the word 'reporter' as a preferred target."

Yoram Binur, Channel Two's reporter for Arab affairs sounds much more
disturbed from the growing and apparent tendency. "The fact the Israeli
journalists, along with academic researchers dealing with the
Palestinian issue, are being threatened, is very frightening," he says.
"There is a serious danger here that jeopardizes the freedom of
expression in Israel. It is a very serious situation that must not be
tolerated. The offensive intervention of terrorist organizations, with
the intention of threatening and influencing the words of Israeli
reporters, is crossing a red line. There is clear evidence of the
terrorist cells' abilities to threaten and carry out their threats. If
Israeli journalists become threatened on a regular basis, that breaks
the consensus that existed here for years. We must not belittle their
military capabilities. They have shown us more than once just what they
are capable of. The activists sent out on these missions carry them out
with all the loyalty and professionalism of the elite commando unit."

What broke the consensus? Why have journalists become the enemy in the
eyes of the terrorist organizations?

Binur: "We need to focus on one important point: the Israeli media,
particularly during the current intifada, is perceived in the eyes of
Palestinian opinion as collaborators. Israeli journalists have been
considered during recent years as cooperating with the establishment, a
kind of messenger of the Zionist regime. In the opinion of everyone in
the Territories, the Israeli press has been recruited on behalf of the
government. In contrast with the prevailing approach in Israel, which
actually believes that the Israeli press is left-wing, they perceive
Israeli reporters as ambassadors of the Zionist state. In the previous
intifada, the Israeli journalists served as a mouthpiece for the
occupied people. Today things are different."

Foreign journalists remain silent
Today, the importance of the media in waging worldwide wars is also
clear to the Palestinians, who are trying, as is the Israeli side, to
influence public opinion through the press and mainly through the
television screen. Binur asserts that "the Palestinian side is very
involved today, and interested in everything that happens in Israel.
There is an acceptance of the press's power in shaping public opinion.
The Palestinian people are aware of the fact that opinion pieces are
being written in Israel that have the power to affect leaders in Israel,
and the terror organizations are trying to take aim at this arena as
well. The purpose of a terror attack is to influence public opinion and
intimidate. An attack on a journalist or an attempt to intimidate him
could also turn into legitimate means. The Palestinian public is an
alert public, which reads and takes interest. I always say that every
average Palestinian reads more and is more interested than the average
Israeli. They read every word, they are political public like no other.
The Palestinian Authority is also aware of the power of the Israeli
media: There are people at the Palestinian Ministry of Information who
translate the Israeli papers every day. They thirst for every bit of
information."

What should a journalist do if he discovers there is a threat to his
life?

Binur: "In my opinion, if an Israeli journalist has received threats and
still chooses to continue writing under the threat, he must report this
to his superiors, so that they know he is writing in such a situation.
It is simply a matter of professional ethics. Suspicions in the
territories today are at a peak level, everyone thinks that his neighbor
is a collaborator. If you enter the territories as a journalist who
comes to carry out a routine investigation, and a day later soldiers
from an undercover unit arrive at the scene, alight from a van and shoot
two Palestinians in the head, it is clear that they will believe there
is a connection between the events."

Binur bases this on a personal incident, which happened at the end of
last year. About three months ago, he held an interview in Jenin with
three senior terror operatives. Several weeks later, the ISA tracked
down one of the interviewees, and he was assassinated in his hiding
place. Following the incident Binur received threats to his life that
compelled him to take safety precautions, regarding which he is
unwilling to expand.

Danny Seaman, director of the Government Press Office, confirms that the
new phenomenon of threatening the lives of journalists is well known.
"The past two years have seen the rules of the game change," says
Seaman. "Only a week ago, the vehicle of the Al-Jazeera bureau chief in
the West Bank was blown up. The atmosphere in the territories is
unfavorable towards anything that is incompatible with the media
propaganda messages of the Palestinian Authority. I know that there are
threats to the lives of journalists, the situation in the territories is
terrible. As a result the IDF Spokesperson has had to limit entry of
(Israeli) journalists. Luckily, Israeli journalists have an
extraordinary talent for improvisation, and they succeed in relaying
updates from there despite the limitations. This is a badge of honor for
us. The Israeli journalists work under a regime of 'media terror,' but
they pass the test in a praiseworthy fashion. Regrettably, the foreign
press does not stand up and protest this. They feel no moral obligation
towards their Israeli colleagues, and prefer to remain silent."

A senior source in the GPO chooses to express severe criticism of the
collegiality displayed by the foreign journalists in the territories:
"We discovered that Hamas and Islamic Jihad members, employed by the
foreign news agencies, confronted Israelis working there in order to
prevent a particular story from being aired. We came across such cases
more than once at Jerusalem Capital Studios. The PA succeeds, with the
assistance of the foreign media, in creating a situation where the
information relayed abroad is convenient for it. Those who remain
isolated in this media arena are the Israeli journalists, and they are
the ones who are now forced to deal with this massive pressure that is
only worsening."

A senior IDF source said in response that "we are aware of the fact that
the lives of journalists covering the territories are in danger. The IDF
enables the entry of journalists in A areas, when they sign a statement
consenting to the fact the IDF cannot guarantee their personal safety in
these areas."

Sources in the Prime Minister's Office said in response that "during the
past two years, many warnings have accumulated regarding attacks against
Israelis, including journalists (Israeli and foreign) and additional
parties. In most cases, the elements behind this activity were arrested
and questioned, and indictments were filed accordingly. In other cases,
steps were taken to prevent or obstruct the planned activity, within the
routine activity of the security forces."

"In each case where concrete information was received, it was
immediately relayed for the information and care of all relevant
agencies, and the necessary operative measures were taken. No more can
be said beyond that, for understandable reasons."