Media bodies to Al Mayadeen: Killing witnesses won't kill the truth
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Media bodies condemn the Israeli crime and offer condolences to Al Mayadeen after the martyrdom of reporter Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Me'mari in an Israeli raid that targeted them in South Lebanon.
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Al Mayadeen's reporter Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Me'mari
Al Mayadeen Media Network received messages of condolences and solidarity from different media outlets and journalists after an Israeli raid targeted Al Mayadeen's reporter Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Me'mari in South Lebanon.
The Minister of Information in the caretaker government, Ziad Makari, confirmed that those who target children and hospitals can also target journalists who represent the voice of truth, stressing that “the Israelis see that Al Mayadeen is posing a threat to them" and that it is a Resistance channel that conveys nothing but the truth.
He added that "Israel" is only implementing its criminal plans, stressing that he will communicate with the Lebanese Army administration to initiate a criminal investigation into the perpetrations of "Israel".
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the #AlMayadeen Media Network, Ghassan Ben Jeddou: "Every correspondent in #Lebanon today feels like Farah, and every cameraman in Lebanon also feels like Rabih. When all of Lebanon considers Farah and Rabih its martyrs, it collectively… pic.twitter.com/hXw1TnAyQO
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 21, 2023
On its part, the Lebanese Press Editors' Syndicate offered its condolences to the families of Al Mayadeen's martyrs, Omar and Me'mari, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Mayadeen.
The Syndicate stressed in its statement that the Israeli attack on the media team is “a premeditated attack that is considered an assassination, and Tel Aviv holds direct responsibility for it,” adding that the treacherous targeting of Al Mayadeen's team falls within an Israeli plan that “aims to silence every voice and break every lens that exposes its crimes and massacres."
#AlMayadeen's Chairman of the Board of Directors Ghassan Ben Jeddou mourns martyrs #FarahOmar and #RabihMemari as he announces that they were targeted by a treacherous Israeli drone strike while they were fulfilling their duty of reporting the truth.#Lebanon pic.twitter.com/MTixlu0chg
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 21, 2023
The Syndicate called on the General Union of Arab Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists, and the International Federation of Journalists in Asia-Pacific to file a complaint before the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice against “Israel” for its crimes that are documented in audio and video to officially condemn it.
The head of the Syndicate of Lebanese Press Editors, Joseph al-Qusaifi, said that precautionary measures taken by journalists are of no use in the face of an enemy that deliberately targets journalists.
Furthermore, the government media office in the Gaza Strip condemned the occupation’s crime against Al Mayadeen's journalists, stressing that the “Israeli policy of targeting and killing journalists will not succeed in obliterating the reality of this bloody occupation."
The Media Office condemned the targeting of Al Mayadeen's journalists, "the two heroic martyrs, Farah Omar and Rabih Me'mari."
The office considered that “this new crime is another one of the occupation's series of crimes, during which journalists and media professionals are intentionally and deliberately targeted." It also stressed that the policy of targeting and killing journalists "will not succeed in obliterating the truth about this bloody occupation."
"Farah is gone, but there will be a million more like her... What happened is an offering for the sake of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and the Resistance will live on."
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 21, 2023
- Farah Omar's father https://t.co/LUFjhc0rYJ
On its part, the Lebanese Media Group - Al-Manar Channel and Al-Nour Radio strongly condemned this treacherous act, stressing that “this heinous crime will not undermine the resolve and determination of media professionals to move forward by clinging to their rights and journalistic and professional ethical values."
It added that targeting the freedom of the press highlights the responsibilities of international organizations, led by the United Nations, to have a firm position in condemning this blatant attack on press teams, whose work is protected by international conventions.
Likewise, the Director General of Al-Manar Channel, Ibrahim Farhat, mourned the two martyrs, saying, “Our colleagues were martyred today while carrying out their professional duty and reporting the truth,” expressing his solidarity with Al Mayadeen and the martyrs of journalism in Lebanon and Palestine.
Read next: Arab, Islamic states mourn Al Mayadeen's martyrs: Truth shall prevail
On its part, the Jordanian Journalists Syndicate condemned the occupation forces targeting the Al Mayadeen team with missile strikes in southern Lebanon.
Jordan's Minister of Government Communications, Mohannad al-Mubaidin, also condemned the Israeli bombing that killed the two journalists.
Likewise, the Center for the Protection of Journalists in Jordan mourned Omar and Me'mari, denouncing “the continuation of Israeli terrorism and its systematic and deliberate targeting of male and female journalists."
Al-Masirah Media Network issued a statement saying, “With great sorrow, we received the news of the martyrdom of Al Mayadeen Channel’s correspondent and cameraman following a cowardly bombing by the Israeli occupation this afternoon,” adding, “We extend our condolences to Al Mayadeen Channel’s management and employees, as we stress the importance of remaining firm on the advanced position in covering Operation Al-Aqsa Flood."
Al-Masirah stressed the importance of continuing to expose the brutality of the criminal and cowardly Israeli enemy, expressing its appreciation for all the sacrifices made by the free and honorable media in the face of Zionist-American arrogance against the oppressed Palestinian people.
Al-Alam News Network in Tehran also condemned the crime of targeting journalists with direct bombing by the Israeli occupation forces, calling on international organizations to carry out their duties in pressuring the Israeli entity and to take everything necessary to deter it from repeating its crimes.
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The Palestine Chronicle expressed its condolences to Al Mayadeen, saying "From the family of The Palestine Chronicle to the family of @almayadeen.tv and our people in #Lebanon, our heartfelt condolences for the murder of your journalists and your civilians by #Israel this morning."
The news outlet added, "Please remain steadfast, we are all in this together."
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In a post by Red Stream Net, they wrote, "Red. media stands in solidarity with our colleagues who risk their lives to tell the most dangerous story in the world, that of Israel’s war crimes."
It added, "Israeli aggression has killed 45 Palestinian and three Lebanese journalists since October 7, with many more injured and suffering from multiple assaults, threats, cyberattacks, censorship, and the killing of family members. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), this has been the deadliest period for journalists covering a conflict since the CPJ began documenting journalist fatalities in 1992."
Read next: Ben Jeddou: 'You will not be able to silence the voice of Al Mayadeen'
