Photographer for French TV denied press card for `security considerations'

Photographer for French TV denied press card for `security considerations'

Haaretz
Date: 12-19-04

By Anat Balint

The Government Press Office (GPO) has refused to issue a press card to a photographer for the French television station FT1 because of "security considerations." The photographer, Jamil Kadamani, is an Israeli citizen and a resident of East Jerusalem who has had a press card for the past three years.

At the beginning of the month, GPO director Danny Seaman wrote to the head of the FT1 office in Israel, Jean-Marc Pillas, that he would not be issuing a press card to Kadamani this year due to "security considerations." This means Kadamani will not be able to travel freely in the territories as a journalist and in effect will not be able to continue working for the station.

The GPO declined to specify the reasons for its decision. The GPO is now working on renewing press cards for all journalists, Israeli and foreign, and apparently, it will not issue cards to other journalists for the same reasons.

Pillas says he is shocked that in Israel a government office is responsible for this. Of Seaman, Pillas says: "He has been lashing out at the foreign media for a long time now, and in the last year wanted to relay details about all foreign correspondents, not just the Palestinian ones, for a security check by the Shin Bet. His job is to help us, but he does the exact opposite."

Kadamani says the only reason he could think of for the refusal to renew his press card is the fact that when he was 14 he was arrested for four months for throwing stones. He says he is married to a Jewish woman, and they are raising a daughter together with her in East Jerusalem. "Journalism and photography is my livelihood. I want to earn a living, and now that I finally found a good job, suddenly this happens."

Seaman has been director of the GPO for four years, and his tenure has been marked by tense relations with the foreign press, given a series of decisions he made, for example, his decision to revoke the press cards of Palestinian journalists who worked with foreign networks and public remarks that the foreign press slanted the news in favor of the Palestinians.

A year ago, he clashed with Israeli press when he wanted to relay personal details of all journalists in Israel to the Shin Bet security services for review before issuing a GPO press card.

This past August there was a tender for the post of GPO director. Although Seaman was the only contender, he did not pass the tender and it was decided that his term would end. Nevertheless, he is still filling the position.

Seaman confirmed that there was a decision made not to issue a press card to Kadamani. He added that the television station could submit an appeal to the Prime Minister's Bureau and that he would respect any decision reached there.

Source

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