Opinions from around the country

Reports have been coming in from the battle-ridden cities of the West Bank that Israeli soldiers have been firing on journalists trying to report on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

According to a Los Angeles Times article Monday, at least 20 journalists have come under fire by Israeli soldiers while trying to gain access to battlefields. The Israeli Army said that the fire is meant as warning shots, but five reporters, including one American, have been wounded.

One convoy of television reporters trying to reach Yasser Arafat’s Ramallah compound came under attack by two Israeli army jeeps. The jeeps rammed a CNN van, tossed stun grenades at the convoy and fired plastic bullets on the group as it fled the scene.

Israel is trying to do nothing more than halt the flow of information from battlegrounds and control the news that reaches the rest of the world. The United States succeeded in limiting the news flow during the Gulf War and the current conflict in Afghanistan, but the U.S. Army did not resort to violence to keep out journalists.

Journalists working in war zones put their lives at great risk when covering battles and conflicts. This comes with the territory.

Stray bullets and bombs in the heat of a battle can easily end a journalist’s career and life. But soldiers purposely shooting at reporters is unconscionable and a direct attack not only on the reporters but also on the rights of citizens of the world to know what is going on.

Israel is using every means at their disposal to hide the activity of its army on the West Bank. Palestinians have been kept in their homes, many not able to leave to obtain water, food or medication.

There are also reports of innocent civilians being killed by Israelis. The Los Angeles Times reported that Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian woman while using explosives to enter her home.

The people of the world have a right to know everything going on in the conflict. All information, both good and bad, must be available to all that wish to hear or read it.

Firing on journalists who are doing nothing more than try to report the facts and the truth is abominable. Trying to control information in such a manner is only going to further hurt Israel's position and further erode the world support that they need in their struggle.

This editorial comes from the Daily Forty-Niner at California State University-Long Beach. This column was distributed by U-Wire.

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TCU Daily Skiff © 2002