‘Someone will die’: Incitement against journalists alarms Israel as elections near
Jerusalem — The security camera pointed at the entrance of Channel 12’s Tel Aviv headquarters captured the attack in all its simple brutality. A masked man ran toward the glass door of Israel’s most-watched television channel and shattered it with a brick. “Next time, the brick will be aimed at one of your heads,” read an … The post ‘Someone will die’: Incitement against journalists alarms Israel…
A masked assailant shattered the glass entrance of Channel 12’s Tel Aviv headquarters, leaving an anonymous letter warning "In the end someone will die." This is at least the third act of vandalism against an Israeli media outlet within a month, coinciding with the buildup to the October elections. It comes amid a surge of threats, graffiti, and intimidation targeting journalists, as opposition leaders and media outlets blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political allies for fostering this climate.
The hostile rhetoric allegedly empowers violence, aimed at intimidating reporters and potentially influencing the outcome if Netanyahu loses. The October vote is anticipated to be one of the most contentious in recent memory, overshadowed by the war sparked by the October 7 attacks and doubts about Netanyahu's ability to maintain power.
Earlier in July, Channel 12 and Haaretz endured similar attacks. In May and June, threatening graffiti appeared at Channel 12's offices and a journalist's residence, warning of "paying with the blood of (their) loved ones." Graffiti appeared near Channel 13 studios too, threatening "the blood of the traitors will yet be broadcast."
Beyond the physical assaults, journalists facing protests and confrontations, with pro-government activists even posting critical billboards featuring their faces. A common theme among the threats is a demand for an apology over the Sde Teiman affair, where Israeli reservists faced allegations of sexual abuse of a Palestinian detainee.
Channel 12 broadcast footage of the incident in August 2024, leading to criminal charges against several reservists and the resignation of the army's top legal officer. Right-wing politicians and commentators, notably on pro-Netanyahu Channel 14, labeled the case a "blood libel." This prompted the new military advocate-general to close the case due to evidentiary and procedural flaws.
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