19 May 2022; MEMO: Some 140 senior Indian journalists have sent a joint letter to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in which they condemned the Israeli army's targeting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
Dr. Abdel Razeq Abu Jazar, media adviser at the Embassy of Palestine in India, said the journalists stressed that targeting of Abu Akleh is a product of a "deliberate environment based on impunity", adding that Israeli forces make journalists who work independently pay a price for their reports.
The journalists sent their letter to the Israeli prime minister through Israel's Ambassador to New Delhi, Naor Gilon.
They called on Bennett to condemn the targeting of Abu Akleh and to open a transparent investigation by an independent authority to ensure justice for her and to stop more such attacks.
"We, the Indian journalists, write to express our strong condemnation of the murder of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot in the face while reporting on a raid by Israeli soldiers from Jenin," the journalists said, adding that the horrific assassination confirms once again the inability of "your government to accept independent press that tells the truth, even though Abu Akleh was known for her independent reports."
"We are also surprised that despite global condemnation, the Israeli police have attempted to stop her funeral procession and resorted to violence as the Palestinians tried to move forward with her coffin."
Israel assassinated Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on 11 May while she was covering the occupation army's storming of Jenin refugee camp. The 51-year-old was wearing a flak jacket clearly displaying the word "Press" and had a helmet on but was still shot in the head by an Israeli sniper. Her colleagues were also shot at as they tried to rescue her.
