Many foreign journalists covering Israel file false reports that serve as a “fig leaf” for terrorists, the government press officer told Arutz-7. Government Press Office (GPO) director Daniel Seaman, a former American whose family moved to Israel in 1971, said, “Many journalists come here and instead of reporting the truth, they serve as a fig leaf for Hamas and Hizbullah, which have no democratic values.”
Seaman said that that Israel welcomes objective reporters, but will not tolerate those who are anti-Semitic.
He noted that the recent episode concerning a Swedish writer who libeled Israel with accusations that soldiers sold organs of Arab terrorists was an extreme case that demanded a strong reaction. “The writer was an author, not a journalist,” Seaman said. "He had pre-conceived opinions on Israel, as do many journalists who come here."
"Anyone who has anti-Semitic opinions, and I do not mean just criticism of Israel, will not be recognized by the government," Seaman said. "We cannot take sanctions, but we can demand that he work according to professional standards,
Seaman explained that many journalists “exploit their freedom to express their own views in reports that have no basis or professional criteria.” He added that every case has to be dealt with individually, and that he is not necessarily looking for pro-Israel reporters.
“I prefer reporters without pre-conceived notions and who work professionally because I believe if a story is told truthfully, Israel will not look bad,” Seaman maintained.
He noted that many journalists work with views dating back to the 1990s, with an attitude that “there is a Palestinian people and that Israel must help and encourage them. But we have other daily issues, and we are fighting for the right of the Jewish State of Israel to exist amid an international effort to negate that right.”