Palestine: CFWIJ Condemns Assault Of Sondos Al-Talbishi By Israeli Soldiers
Location: Palestine, Hebron
Date: March 15, 2023
Israeli soldiers assaulted and injured Palestinian journalist Sondos Al-Talbishi who works at the Media Department of the Polytechnic University in Hebron after stopping her at the Container Roadblock, southeast of occupied Jerusalem, in the West Bank. The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces the attack and holds Israeli authorities responsible.
On Wednesday, Palestinian journalist Sondos Al-Talbishi was using her mobile phone to film and document the obstruction of Palestinian traffic and interrogation of residents while trying to cross the checkpoint by Israeli soldiers. According to reports by several media sources, the soldiers attacked Al-Talbishi, while she was trying to report on the scene.
The soldiers forced the journalist out of a vehicle and assaulted her, causing various cuts and bruises. Al-Talbishi was wearing a vest clearly marked 'press' at the time. The journalist added that the soldiers inspected the vehicle, bodily-searched, hit and verbally assaulted her despite the fact that she had told them several times that she worked in the media, noting that the vehicle had the word "Press" written on it.
Al-Talbishi, said that the Israeli forces stationed at the Container checkpoint, southeast of Jerusalem, briefly detained her as she was recording the soldier's measures to obstruct Palestinian citizens' movement at the checkpoint. She added that the soldiers took her to a room at the roadblock, struck and kicked her with their military boots, especially on her legs, and hurled insults at her.
This is far from the only incident the CFWIJ has documented while monitoring escalating encounters between women journalists and Israeli forces. On Wednesday, November 23, 2022, France 24 Arab female correspondent Leyla Avde was harassed by a group of extremist Israelis for speaking Arabic at the site of the bomb attack in West Jerusalem.
Upon realizing Avde was speaking Arabic, a group of about 30 young Israelis present at the site, approached the journalist and the cameraman in efforts to disrupt the broadcast. Some of them got in front of the camera, while others got into a verbal exchange with Avde. In the video footage seen live on air, part of the group is heard using remarks such as “Death to Arabs”, “Arabs go to Russia” and “This is an Arab explosion”.
Members of the Israeli press present at the scene alerted the police, however, the latter did not intervene. On the contrary, they asked the France 24 crew to leave the area. It is noted that France 24 television will initiate legal proceedings.
On May 11, 2022, Al Jazeera’s veteran Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot in the head and killed by Israeli forces while covering an Israeli Defence Force (IDF) raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin. Shireen was wearing a press vest when hit by the bullet. She was shifted to a hospital and declared dead on arrival.
Eyewitnesses, Al Jazeera correspondents and the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of occupied West Bank, have held IDF forces responsible for the killing. Journalistic investigations since, also lend support to their claims.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by the constant infringement of press freedom by Israeli authorities. We condemn the attack on Sondos Al-Talbishi and urge Israeli authorities to take immediate action in ceasing their harassment of women journalists. Journalism is not a crime.
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.