Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House Rules Committee and co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Committee, and 64 Democratic colleagues penned a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for Washington to pressure Israel to allow journalists more access to Gaza.
The 65 members of Congress expressed “deep concern” about “ongoing restrictions on media access in Gaza, which have persisted since the outbreak of hostilities one year ago.”
“It is imperative that the United States urge Israel to allow independent access for U.S. and international journalists, in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fundamental principle of press freedom,” they added. They accused Israel of placing an “overwhelming burden” on local journalists, who “are documenting the war they are living through.”
The members of Congress who signed the letter—including the anti-Israel lawmakers Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), Cori Bush (Mo.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.)—did not mention Hamas or the hostages that the U.S. designated terror group continues to hold in Gaza.
Israel has accused several Gaza reporters, including those who work for major news organizations, of having direct ties to Palestinian terror organizations.
According to the 65 members of Congress, Israel’s actions “undermine the very foundation of press freedom and democratic accountability.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who is Jewish, also signed the letter.
(JNS)
Excuse me, but I want the press and the Red Cross to have unimpeded access also to the hostages Hamas is holding.
I think it is demeaning for our lawmakers to hold Hamas to lower standards than the standards to which they hold Israel. Such lower expectations suggest that our lawmakers consider the Hamas organization to be a collection of barbaric, sub-human savages. These lower expectations may cause Hamas diminished self-esteem.
Is there a single example in history where a government has granted unfettered access to the media across an entire war zone?
And in this case where the belligerent has been known to use media as their minions to smuggle weaponry and money, it would be absolutely detrimental to allow such access.
Here is my counter proposal. As much access as these politicians are willing to give to hostile media their personal, professional, and financial lives is how much access IDF should give.
Oh wait, they already give more media access than that.
first the Int’l Red Cross must have access to ALL OF THE HOSTAGES STILL IN GAZA and treat them like all humans
The IRC is an arm of Hamas.
After they sign waivers against economic retaliation for being blasted to smithereens. No reason not to keep them out. Al Jazeera correspondents should take point.
This is the quality of our politicians in Washington. No wonder Congress’s favorable ratings in the overall opinion of Americans is in the single digits. They’re a group of useless leeches. They should all join the United Nations or get paid directly from Iran – they are after all secret agents: it certainly seems so.