Today, 113 journalists, 7 press freedom groups and 20 news outlets accused the U.S. secretary of state of being “complicit in one of the gravest affronts to press freedom today” in Gaza.
U.S. State Dept. building,. Washington (State Dept./Wikimedia Commons)
The following letter was delivered to the State Department on Thursday morning with a request to meet with the Secretary of State
August 15, 2024
Dear Secretary Blinken,
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 160 Palestinian journalists. This is the largest recorded number of journalists killed in any war. While Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of the densely populated Gaza means no civilians are safe, Israel has also been repeatedly documented deliberately targeting journalists.
Israel’s military actions are not possible without U.S. weapons, U.S. military aid, and U.S. diplomatic support. By providing the weapons being used to deliberately kill journalists, you are complicit in one of the gravest affronts to press freedom today.
On World Press Freedom Day this year, you called on “every nation to do more to protect journalists,” and reiterated your “unwavering support for free and independent media around the world.”
As journalists, publications and press freedom groups in solidarity with the courageous Palestinian journalists of Gaza, we call on you to do more to protect journalists and show unwavering support for free and independent media by supporting an arms embargo against Israel.
Israel has gone to great lengths to suppress media coverage of its war in Gaza, imposing military censorship on both its own journalists and international reporters operating in the country; and, with Egypt’s help, blocking all foreign journalists from Gaza.
Israel shut down Al Jazeera, raided its office, seized its equipment, and blocked its broadcasts and website within Israel. The world relies only on the Palestinian journalists in Gaza to report the truth about the war and Israel’s widespread violations of international law.1
Israel’s deliberate targeting of these journalists seems intended to impose a near blackout on coverage of its assault on Gaza. Investigations by United Nations bodies, NGOs, and media organizations, have all found instances of deliberate targeting of journalists.2
In a joint statement, five U.N. special rapporteurs declared:
“We have received disturbing reports that, despite being clearly identifiable in jackets and helmets marked “press” or traveling in well-marked press vehicles, journalists have come under attack, which would seem to indicate that the killings, injury, and detention are a deliberate strategy by Israeli forces to obstruct the media and silence critical reporting.”3
Israel has also killed journalists during the war outside of Gaza, such as on October 13, 2023 when an Israeli tank fired across the Lebanese border at clearly identified press, killing a Reuters reporter and injuring six other journalists.4
Under international law, the intentional targeting of journalists is a war crime.5 While all governments are bound by international law protecting reporters, U.S. domestic law also prohibits the State Department from providing assistance to units of foreign security forces credibly accused of gross violations of human rights.6 Israel’s well-documented pattern of extrajudicial executions of journalists is a gross violation of human rights.
Additionally, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the American people’s right to receive information and ideas.7 Israel’s deliberate targeting of journalists follows a longstanding pattern by the Israeli government to suppress truthful reporting on its treatment of Palestinians and its war in Gaza. By providing Israel with the weapons used to kill journalists, the State Department is abetting Israel’s violent suppression of journalism.
The U.S. is providing the weapons Israel continually uses to target Palestinian journalists in Gaza. This is a violation of International law and U.S. domestic law. We urge you to immediately cease the transfer of all weapons to Israel.
Signed,
113 journalists
20 news outlets
7 press freedom organizations
Journalists
Abby Martin, The Empire Files
Adam H. Johnson
Aída Chávez
Akayla Galloway, The Social Justice Center
Alex Han, In These Times
Alex Press, Jacobin
Ameen Izzadeen, The Sunday Times, Colombo
Amy K. Sater
Andy Lee Roth
April Alonso, Cicero Independiente
Arun Gupta
Azad Essa, Middle East Eye
Ben Burgis, Jacobin
Branko Marcetic, Jacobin
Britney Schultz, Truthout
Brittany M. Brown
Cathy Vogan, Consortium News
Charles Glass, Former ABC News Chief Mideast Correspondent
Chip Gibbons, Defending Rights & Dissent
Chris Hedges
Cody Bloomfield
Dahr Jamail, Independent Journalist
Dan Sheehan
Daniel Denvir, Host of The Dig podcast
Daniel Larison
Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com
Dave Reed, Mondoweiss
David Lindorff, Independent journaliist, 54 years in the profession
David Pierce Griscom, Left Reckoning
David Swanson, World BEYOND War
David Zirin, The Nation Magazine
Dennis J. Bernstein, KPFA/PACIFICA RADIO/FLASHPOINTS
Doug Henwood, KFPA radio
Dr. Maha Hilal, Muslim Counterpublics Lab
Eleanor Goldfield
Eli Clifton
Erik Baker, Associate editor, The Drift
Frances Madeson, Member of National Writers Union
Gareth Porter, Independent Journalist
Gunar Olsen
Irene Romulo
Jack McGrath, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
Jack Mirkinson
Jake Romm, Protean Magazine
James Bamford, Author and Contributing Writer at The Nation
James Fox, Airmail News
Jeff Cohen, Founding Director of Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College
Jeffrey St. Clair, CounterPunch
Jen Deerinwater, Crushing Colonialism
Jim Lafferty, Host, Public affairs show Law and Disorder
Joe Lauria, Consortium News
Joel Whitney
John Hanrahan
Jonathan Cook
Joshua Frank, CounterPunch
Ju-Hyun Park, The Real News
Kai Bird
Kelley B. Vlahos, Responsible Statecraft
Kevin Gosztola
Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks
Lara Witt
Laura Poitras
Lena
Lidia Alvarez
Liza Featherstone
Loretta Graceffo, Truthout
Luke O’Neil, Welcome to Hell World
Luke Savage, Columnist, Jacobin
Malcolm Harris
Marjorie Cohn, Truthout
Matt Kennard, Declassified UK
Maureen Clare Murphy, The Electronic Intifada
Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network
Maya Schenwar, Truthout
Meagan Day, Jacobin
Micah Uetricht
Michael Arria, Mondoweiss
Mickey Huff, Director, Project Censored
Natasha Lennard
Nathan Fuller, Courage Foundation
Nathan J. Robinson, Current Affairs
Nathan Tankus
Nausicaa Renner, Drop Site News
Negin Owliaei, Truthout
Nick French, Jacobin
Nima Shirazi, Citations Needed
Noah Kulwin
Norman Solomon
Philip Weiss, Mondoweiss
Richard Silverstein, Tikun Olam
Robert Scheer, University of Southern California
Roberto Savio, Othernews
Rosette Sewali
Rune Ottosen, PEN Norway
Ryan Grim, Drop Site News
Sam Carliner
Sam Sacks, Means TV – MMN
Samantha Borek, Truthout
Sarah Lazare
Séamus Malekafzali, Freelance
Seraj Assi, Jacobin
Seth Ackerman, Editor at Large, Jacobin
Shaheryra Mirza, Middle East Eye
Sharon Zhang, Truthout
Skip Kaltenheuser, Have Pen Will Travel, freelance based in DC
Spencer J. Ackerman
Stefania Maurizi, Investigative Journalist, Il Fatto Quotidiano
Tareq S Hajjaj, Mondoweiss
Tim Shorrock, Independent writer
Tony Sutton, ColdType
Umar Farooq
Y.L. al-Sheikh
Press Freedom Organizations
Courage Foundation
Defending Rights & Dissent
FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting)
Freedom of the Press Foundation
Project Censored
RootsAction
Whistleblower & Source Protection Program (WHISPeR) at ExposeFacts
News Outlets
Antiwar.com
Cicero Independiente
Citations Needed
ColdType
Consortium News
CounterPunch
Crushing Colonialism
Current Affairs
Drop Site News
Law and Disorder
In These Times
Middle East Eye
Mondoweiss
Othernews
Progressive Hub
The Real News Network
Tikun Olam
Truthout
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
Welcome to Hell World
NOTES
1 “Israel bans Al Jazeera: What does it mean and what happens next?,” Al Jazeera (May 6, 2024). Available at https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/6/israel-bans-al-jazeera-what-does-it-mean-and-what-happens-next 2 E.g. “Gaza: UN experts condemn killing and silencing of journalists,” United Nations (February 2, 2024). Available at https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/gaza-un-experts-condemn-killing-and-silenc ing-journalists “Israel: Strikes on Journalists in Lebanon Apparently Deliberate,” Human Rights Watch, (December 7, 2023). Available at https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/07/israel-strikes-journalists-lebanon-apparently-delib erate
2 “Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war,” Committee to Project Journalists. Available at https://cpj. org/2024/07/journalist-casualties-in-the-israel-gaza-conflict/. “Israeli tank fire killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah in Lebanon,” Reuters (December 7, 2023). Available at https://www.reuters.com/graphics/ISRAEL-LEB ANON/JOURNALIST/akveabxrzvr/index.html
3 “Gaza: UN experts condemn killing and silencing of journalists,” United Nations (February 2, 2024). Available at https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/gaza-un-experts-condemn-killing-and silencing-journalists
4 “Israeli strike killed ‘clearly identifiable’ reporter in Lebanon: UN probe,” Al Jazeer (March 14, 2024). Available at https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/14/israeli-strike-killed-clearly-identifiable-reporter-in lebanon-un-probe
5 Article 79 of Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions states “Journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict shall be considered as civilians”
6 22 U.S. Code § 2378d
7 Stanley v. Georgia, 394 U.S. 557 (1969)
We would have been happy to sign off on this but were never approached, but we stand in solidarity with everything this letter says. Proud of all the Indie Media Award honorees on this list. I am sure there would have been more had they also been approached…
signed,
The members of Indie News Network
hxxps://indienews.network
hxxps://linktr.ee/innmembers
Indie
Reef Breland
Collin Radix-Carter
Robert Durden
Jesse Jett
Kris Legion
Greg the BigMadCrab
Angel Rivera
Snow Himbo
Yeti Jesus
Blinken probably wishes the Palestinians would hurry up disappearing so he can forget about them.
Almost all the journalists I’ve listened to (in the last 5 years) or read their articles are NOT on that list. And I pride myself to have read with scrutiny and followed the best ones. Maybe I’ve overestimated their courage to confront the State Department or perhaps they don’t see any use to requesting anything close to justice from Blinken or the current Government of the Land of the Free. Or is it the fear of an Assange or Scott Ritter Treatment?
Why wasn’t this letter COPIED to Blinken but addressed to Biden/Harris and every member of congress?
The absence of legacy media companies on this list shows quite glaringly that they have nothing to do with delivering news. The only thing they deliver is state propaganda and mindless fluff. That’s why those working for these outlets make obscene salaries. Shilling for empire pays handsomely.
One need not expect the war criminal, Blinkin, to blink at this.
What a shock!!! No Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and News Journal of Delaware on the list. How sad to realize real journalism no longer exists in these places.
Are you sure they were invited?
Thank You Journalists, Press Freedom Organizations, News Outlets for your letter and support for Israel Arms Embargo!
Footnote 7. Stanley v. Georgia, 394 U.S. 557 (1969) :
“…And yet, in the face of these traditional notions of individual liberty, (ZionistIsrael-US) Georgia asserts the right to protect the (Orthodox Zionist) individual’s mind from the effects of (its assault on Gaza) obscenity. We are not certain that this argument amounts to anything more than the assertion that the (ZionistIsrael-US) State has the right to control the moral content of a person’s thoughts…”
“… If the First Amendment means anything, it means that a State has no business telling a man, sitting alone in his own house, what books he may read or what films he may watch. Our whole constitutional heritage rebels at the thought of giving government the power to control men’s minds…” —>>> Zionist Israel-US has violated Americans First Amendment thru the corruption of the press, killing of journalist, and deliberate blackout of its assault and starvation on Gaza in the Orthodox press imbedded in many eruvs throughout the US. Atlanta Jewish Times is one example.
As much as I would like to see an end to the bloodshed, the absolute LAST people I would trust with American foreign policy decisions is a bunch of journalists. I’m not fan of the Biden administration, but they were elected by the people to oversee just this sort of thing. I may not agree with their decisions, but they have the legitimacy of being elected. I don’t recall anyone voting for any of those journalists. Who are they to ‘demand’ anything?
SecState was not elected to that position — its boss should be resigned also …
And we do indeed vote for journals/journalists by consciously choosing whom we read. I choose to read the above signators of the protest letter above.
Seriously?
#1: most of them are citizens of this country and can “demand” anything they want from the country’s elected govt … it’s called freedom of speech.
#2: They are calling out the hypocrisy of claiming to stand for a free press while countenancing and enabling the murder of the agents of that free press.
They are demanding that the US abide by both US law and international law, which the US is currently and flagrantly violating. One doesn’t have to be an elected representative of the people to show with factual evidence that the government is in violation of the law. To request a ban on arms transfers to Israel is not only the most efficient way to end the targeting and murder of Palestinian journalists it is also a requirement under US and international law. Every person has the right and the responsibility to demand that their elected representatives act in accordance with the law. This isn’t simply a matter of opinion, it’s the law. If a president or any elected official was stealing money or committing any other violation of the law we would expect them to cease and desist from the violation and take whatever measures necessary to ensure that it didn’t continue. That’s what these journalists are requesting and they, and we, have every right to demand that our elected officials abide by US and international law.
The First Amendment says gives “the people” the “right”… “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”. That’s where this comes from.
Isn’t the Department of State run by a Zionist? If it is, then isn’t there a conflict of interest? How could a Zionist whose fealty is to Israel as a pure Jewish State assess objectively, provide fair counsel and act with discretion and justness toward Palestinians and their natural human cause to be free of imprisonment that is the overriding characteristic of an apartheid state? How can a Zionist devoted to the achievement of a pure Jewish Israel State be faithful to the discharge of his duties as Secretary of State to act in the best interests of the people of the USA? Those very people – the majority of whom – want a ceasefire? Who are torn apart by the willful decisions of their Secretary of State and rickety minded President? A ceasefire signifying what is the absolute opposite of the stated aims of the Israeli government to slaughter every last – in their words – living human animal, respectfully and truthfully known as Palestinian? How could a Zionist not resist – consciously and unconsciously – such a ceasefire? Blinken should be resigned. Not only re the Palestinians, but everywhere he touches, tension, antagonism, alienation, fear and militarism – escalates.; not diplomacy, not openness, and not peace. He lacks what the contemporary international situation demands. A George Mitchell. Wisdom.
People said the same thing about JFK being a papist with dual loyalty to the Vatican.
Fortunately, the American people chose to disregard such arguments.
Besides, I don’t see how having a zionist running the State Department is any more of a conflict of interest than having an anti-zionist running the state department. People have political opinions that lots of other people disagree with. That doesn’t make them unfit for government service.
Joe Biden got elected fair and square, and has the right to appoint whoever the heck he wants to run the State Department. Donald Trump had the same right, as did Barack Obama before him. And no matter who Obama, Trump, or Biden appointed, about half of America would disagree with that appointment. That’s how things work in a representative republic. Don’t like it? Win over more voters next time (a lesson that both sides seem incapable of processing these days).
So nice that you don’t mind being ruled by people whose first allegiance is NOT to the United States.
While I agree that many ill informed tend to blame Jews, while ignoring the many anti-Zionist Jews that got the shit beat out of them during recent protests however: Elected fair and square? Republic? Let’s not be so naive. The “res publica” is the “res privatae” and the Rubicon was crossed long ago, the US is not a republic, is not a democracy it’s an empire. You can go back to Sam Clemens and the Anti-Imperialist League for more on that. I would also recommend reading Democracy Inc. (Sheldon Wolin)
Also, you might have heard of the Citizens United decision, thus making the US a de-facto “oligarchy with unlimited political bribery” (Jimmy Carter, 2015, cited in Rolling Stone and The Intercept). It is telling that the MassMediaCartel did not report on when a former US president, said the US has no democracy, and is an oligarchy. Fortunately, you can still find the quote online.
While Selina did not fully explain for what reasons Blinken should be defined as a Zionist or how if such he should be considered loyal to Israel and not to the U.S., there are plenty of reasons to object to his policies. Among them the horrors in Gaza that have been well documented. And especially the fact that Biden’s State Dept. is being run by Dick Cheney trained neocons. Neocons whose priority is defense of “benevolent global hegemony,” their nice words for harsh empire by means of however many wars it takes. Their aims were made clear by the PNAC principles–easily found by a web search.
Nor are your points very convincing since you use the logical fallacies of false equivalency and deflection. That some “people” said JFK was a papist isn’t the same as objecting to Blinken as a neocon. The charge against JFK (which I’m old enough to remember) was a rerun of the prejudice of Protestant conservatives that any Catholic was loyal to Rome and not really American. The historical roots of which is the 1854 Know Nothing party of 1854. Whereas Blinken actually is a neocon along with several others in the Dept. of State.
That Biden has the “right” to appoint whom he wants is a deflection, something not in question and not relevant to the issue at hand. In this case, to change the subject from what’s happening in Gaza. Do you support these policies? At what point would you object? Do you believe reports of the horror are made up and journalists like Chris Hedges (note his name is on the letter sent to Blinken) are just liars?
As a blue collar union worker, I fought the unfriendly usurpation of the Dem party by the neolibs who then ditched the New Deal and abandoned the majority working class. For years I’ve asked Dem apologists if they support an econ system that considers destruction of human and natural resources to be irrelevant externalities like neolibs do. Never an answer other than ad hominems, whataboutisms, straw man, deflections, and other logical fallacies. Now add neocon. Let’s hear a rousing defense for this latest Dem degeneration.
PS–I see your reference to “representative republic.” A phrase often used by conservatives meant to distance political discussions from any consideration of democracy. This, too, an old legacy dating back to the founding of the country. Wealthy propertied white men abhorred what they called “levelling.” An assumption that majority rule would mean those lessers who coveted the power and property of their betters would seize them. Is this what you had in mind?
It should also be noted that Blinken’s stepfather is Samual Pisar, the one-time personal lawyer for Mossad super-spy, Robert Maxwell, father of Epstein partner Ghislane Maxwell. I doubt this is just a coincidence.
A George Mitchell? Are you kidding me? He was an Epstein associate. He worked for a lobbying firm in DC that supports child slavery and a number of other hideous things. He dawdled on invading Iraq the first time so that the vote would go in favor of war. I wrote him a letter about his delaying tactics and got back an indignant reply. He singlehandedly destroyed a democracy movement within a local Democrat county party because someone dared to ask him why he was supporting a federal death penalty when he had always said he was against capital punishment. The man is an absolute shit and it was great not hearing about him for awhile because of his Epstein cronyism, then one local TV station tried to rehabilitate him on his 90th birthday and I don’t think I was the only person who strenuously objected. And ask the Irish about the “peace agreement” he brokered; to put it mildly, they have zero respect for him.
As other commenters have said, the lack of attendance by NBCCBSABCFOXNYTIMESWAPOSTETC “journalists” on the list is quite noticeable. Perhaps said journalists are not concerned by their colleagues being summarily executed by Iz … after all, it’s not like the affected journalists represented “real” news orgs, i.e. those that repeat received information from the state.
All of those journalists are wrong in their accusations, Mr. “Blinken” is in fact a US born full blooded Hungarian Jew inserted into the US regime. What else can be expected, he is simply exercising his natural allegiance. Wake up America.
Classy.
Stuff like this is why anti-zionism gets conflated with anti-semitism. Accusing Blinken of dual loyalty is an attack on his Jewishness, and has nothing to do with the Gaza conflict. Sometimes passionate anti-zionists just can’t help themselves and let their freak flag fly, showing their hatred of Jews in all it’s glory.
Considering the number of Jews who are anti-zionist, I think it’s time you wake up and stop posting silly comments for the government.
Your 1st sentence is is warranted by the “they’re all the same” bigot style language of Mr. Scordamaglia.
But then you turn around and essentially do the same thing. That by becoming “passionate,” anti-Zionists slip up and reveal how all of them are nothing but anti-Semites.
Yeah, like the Catholics and WASP elites are not in lock-step. This aint no democracy dude, wake up.
Your comment is shocking bigotry. Any statement “they’re all the same” is the very definition of prejudice.
The extreme right wing in the U.S. and elsewhere is still repeating the old lie that Jewish bankers control everything. I’ve seen comments elsewhere that cite “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” too. Outed as a tsarist government forgery long ago yet still circulated by reactionary anti-Semites.
Attacking Blinken just for being Jewish is part of that horrible heritage. There are plenty of logical reasons to object to his policies. Like how he and others in the Biden Dept. of State are neocons, some of whom were trained directly by Dick Cheney. Which is part of why, as pro empire, they support the inexcusable and genocidal actions in Gaza.
And if “they’re all the same,” then how do you explain the anti Netanyahu Israelis and the many pro Palestinian Jewish U.S. and British protesters?
The absence of any major Corporate-Owned-News (CON) outlet is glaring. Not a single one.
Gee, I don’t see the New York Times in the list of news outlets supporting the effort…