During the first months of the corona, when the medical staffs entered the corona wards, they took into account that they could become infected, get sick and even, God forbid, die. When medical staff treated AIDS patients in the 1980s, they were aware that, given the knowledge available at the time, they could become infected and die.
When a sapper approaches a bomb dismantle, he takes into account that it may precede it. I, too, as a neurologist who treated patients with meningitis, contracted the disease, and luckily I succeeded.
All of the above comes under the heading of professional risk, and therefore, when a journalist enters a battlefield, he should take into account that he is at risk of injury and even death. It hurts, but it exists. Each person chooses his field of occupation and the degree of risk he is willing to take within his framework. No one forces others to treat infectious diseases, dismantle bombs or survey wars. Those who do so, do so at their own risk.
I read this week’s article by Itamar Eichner, in which he reported that 57% of members of Congress had asked the FBI chief to investigate the death of American journalist and civilian Sheerin Abu Akala, who was killed during an exchange of gunfire in Jenin. Rather, let them investigate. Israel does not abdicate responsibility and has even offered a joint investigation, but the Palestinians, I wonder why, are sticking to their opposition, even though the Palestinian pathologist himself claimed he could not determine from what fire the journalist was killed.
I’m sorry for her death. I’m sorry for anyone killed in wars or acts of violence, but the hypocrisy in this case screams to heaven.
I received a message this week quoting report material from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). According to the report, between 1990 and 2020, 2,658 journalists were killed: 340 in Iraq, 178 in Mexico, 160 in the Philippines, 138 in Pakistan, 116 in India and more. Twelve of those killed were al-Jazeera journalists, seven of whom were killed in Syria, two in Iraq, one in Yemen, one in Libya and the most recent case in Jenin.
There was usually no such flurry of sharp reactions, as Israel had endured. It is often not said of the journalist who lost his life that he was murdered in cold blood.
Two things are clear to me: there is anti-Semitism and double standards in the world in every issue in which Israel is involved, and also: the state’s information system is flawed, to say the least, and is not educated to leverage information as our opponents do. This is not the first time we have faced blatant attacks with our eyes lowered and our tongues clinging to our palate. Too bad.