Location: Israel, Jerusalem             
Date: June 9, 2022

France 24 reporter and Palestinian journalist Laila Odeh was hit on the head and verbally abused by demonstrators at the Israeli nationalist flag march in Jerusalem last month. The nationalists hurled insults and physical objects at the journalist reporting live for France 24’s sister publication in Arabic. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled at the unabashedly racist attack on the Palestinian reporter. We stand in solidarity with Laila and call for an immediate end to hostilities against the press. Journalists associated with BBC News also reported similar violations suffered at the hands of Israeli marchers on the day. 

On May 29, thousands of Israeli marched to Damascus Gate, the main entrance to the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, waving Israeli flags and chanting far-right nationalist slogans against Muslims and Palestinians. The demonstrators shouted racially charged slogans such as “the nation of Israel lives" and "death to Arabs." The rally took place in the Old City of Jerusalem as part of the Israeli celebrations of Jerusalem Day, commemorating the city's unification following the capture of East Jerusalem in 1967 and the Palestinian exodus or the Naksa.

Dozens of people were injured in clashes during the Flag March last month, reported London-based pan-Arab media outlet The New Arab. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, Israeli forces and settlers used rubber bullets, truncheons and pepper spray as the marchers passed through Palestinian neighborhoods. 

France 24 correspondent Laila was on the scene while reporting the march and was hit on the head by an Israeli protester. The protester threw a water bottle, among other things, at Laila while she was on-air. The journalist stopped for a while after the assault and protestors insulted Laila during that time. The physical attack and abuse sparked outrage on social media with France 24 and Laila’s colleagues also denouncing the incident. 

BBC News Middle East correspondent Tom Bateman said their crew on ground was also harassed. The marchers were verbally and physically violent, shoving the crew members and damaging their camera. Israeli marchers spat on the journalists and one yelled “go and be with Shireen”. 

“Group of Israeli marchers shouting “death to Arabs” at Damascus Gate - some lit a flare and just surged up the steps to area where a few Palestinians in cafes had been cleared by security forces. Police now pushing the marchers back towards Muslim quarter,” Bateman posted on Twitter on May 29. 

This year’s Israeli flag march took place amid a highly charged atmosphere with tensions running high following the horrific killing of veteran Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11. Shireen was shot dead while covering a raid by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) 

in a residential neighborhood of Jenin, occupied West Bank last month. The journalist was wearing a vest clearly identifying her as press when the bullet hit her. She was shifted to a hospital and declared dead on arrival. All evidence collected since then, including eyewitness accounts and independent journalistic investigations, indicate that Shireen was deliberately killed by Israeli forces with no other threats on site. However, the Israeli state claims it was an “active combative situation” and it will not be conducting a criminal investigation. The CFWIJ has repeatedly called for a transparent international probe and urges the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to cooperate with investigators. 

Less than three weeks after Shireen's killing, Ghufran Harun Warasneh, 31, was headed to work at a local news network in Hebron, when she was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint near Arroub refugee camp in occupied West Bank on June 1. She was the second Palestinian woman journalist killed in less than a month.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism reiterates that impunity for crimes against women journalists only leads to further violence. We extend support to Laila Odeh and other journalists striving to report the truth from a conflict-ridden zone. It does not go amiss that Palestinian journalists disproportionately bear the brunt of the Israeli state’s repeated encroachments on press freedom. We demand justice for the brutal killings of Shireen and Ghufran and call on the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to ensure that perpetrators of hostilities against the press are held to account. It is high time that the international community intervenes to hold aggressive states accountable for their crimes against journalists. In subsequent tweets he stated that the BBC crew on ground was also assaulted. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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