Ha'aretz is reporting that Israel has withdrawn from the international federation of journalists (IFJ). No more news than that, but it certainly is an interesting turn of events.
This likely does not deserve its own diary and could have been posted as a comment in another middle east diary (jesus, we have plenty of them, you know?), but I wanted to separate it from the vitriol that seems to fly back and forth at rates exceeding Katyusha rockets. I didn't see anything on dKos on this, but if this has already been diaried, I apologize.
Below the Fold...
So what is the IFJ, and why is Israel quiting the organization?
Their tagline is: Promotes co-ordinated international action to defend press freedom and social justice through the development of strong, free and independent trade unions of journalists.
(Sounds good. Wish they could do more here in the States. I'm surprised Tony Snow and Co. hasn't pulled the U.S. out of the organization. Or maybe he did. Maybe he did it secretly. Tinfoil hat time.)
Anyway:
Lately, the IFJ has issued alot of Israel-related releases:
IFJ Calls on Israel to Explain Shooting of Al Jazeera News Crew Member in Palestine (19/07/2006)
IFJ Makes New Call for End to Attacks on Media in Middle East Conflict (17/07/2006)
IFJ Accuses Israel Over Pattern of Targeting After Strike on Beirut Broadcaster (14/07/2006)
No secret that Israel has had a very tense relationship with the worldwide press for years.
Apparently, Israel didn't want to hear it anymore. No judgment on my part, just a quick newsflash. If you're pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli or you just plain old want everyone to sit down and shut the fuck up because you're paying $4.75 a gallon to fill your Suburban, don't blame, flame or Plame me.
UPDATE: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/741068.html
A group of Israeli journalists on Thursday renounced their membership in the International Federation of Journalists, after the organization's General Secretary refused to retract his condemnation of the Israel Defense Forces' bombing of the Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV station in Beirut.
IFJ General Secretary Aiden White proposed coming to Israel to settle the dispute, but Israeli journalist and IFJ member Yaron Anosh told him that as long as the censure remained in effect, White would be unwelcome in Israel.
So, it turns out it was members of the Israeli press, and not the government, per se.