Calls for Arab journalists who visit Israel to be punished

The Palestinian Information Ministry demanded the Union of Arab Journalists punish nine Arab journalists and the institutions they work after they partook in a visit to Israel.

In a press statement, the ministry called for putting the nine journalists and the organisations they work for on “a blacklist and stop dealing with them”.

Five Moroccans, one Lebanese, one Iraqi, one Yemeni and a Syrian journalist visited Israel last week.

The ministry said: “This visit supports the position of the occupation and supports it with audacity, and contrary to the official and popular trends in friendly nations which reject normalisation in all its forms and contexts.”

Most Arab countries declare that they do not have relations with Israel while there have been numerous reports that secret relations Arab states and Israel are ongoing.

Arab states offered full normalization with Israel through the Arab peace initiative announced in 2002, but demanded that it be in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, which Israel rejected.

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