NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2024 – The Overseas Press Club of America strongly condemns the Israeli military’s recent raid upon the Ramallah bureau offices of Al Jazeera, confiscating documents and removing journalists from the newsroom. According to news reports, the Israeli military ordered that the office be closed for 45 days, saying that the news organization was “being used to incite terror.”
Al Jazeera, a global news organization based in Doha, rejected the Israeli military’s claims, in a statement calling the raid “not only an attack on Al Jazeera, but an affront to press freedom and the very principles of journalism.”
The news organization went on to say that the measures were “clearly intended to prevent the world from witnessing the reality of the situation in the occupied territories and the ongoing war on Gaza and the devastating impact on innocent civilians.”
The OPC stands with Al Jazeera and other news organizations and journalists seeking to fairly cover the Israel-Hamas War and the devastation wrought in Gaza – often at danger to themselves. We again stand against any government or government-affiliated organizations blocking press coverage by denying access, harassing or arresting journalists, or as in this case, seizing the offices of working journalists.
Journalism is not a crime. The OPC reiterates its call for journalists working in Gaza to be able to do their work without government or military interference.
The Overseas Press Club of America is the nation’s oldest and largest association of journalists engaged in international news. Every year, it awards the most prestigious prizes devoted exclusively to international news coverage. It was founded in 1939 by nine foreign correspondents in New York City, and has grown to nearly 500 members worldwide. The club’s mission is to uphold the highest standards in news reporting, advance press freedom and promote good fellowship among colleagues while educating a new generation of journalists.