The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European
group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today expressed its
support to journalists and unions at France
2 following threats made against the public
channel's presenters over a television
programme on the potential creation of a Palestinian state.
"We condemn all forms of threats against journalists
who have done their work, especially on a
politically sensitive issue such as the
Israeli-Palestinian relations," said Beth Costa, General Secretary of the
IFJ / EFJ.
The two hour long TV
broadcast entitled "Eye on the planet" (Un oeil sur la
planète) of Monday, 3 October on the question "Is a Palestinian state
possible?" drew particularly hostile reaction from
some viewers, including verbal attack on the presenters.
The National
Union of Journalists (SNJ), an
IFJ/EFJ affiliate, denounced "A hysterical wave
of e-mails often insulting, physical threats against the presenter of the
evening programme:
everything is good to try to intimidate journalists of France 2. " The SNJ-CGT condemned the « intolerable
harassment coming from a community group» and calls on the profession to
« show its support to journalists of France2 ».
The EFJ backs the unions of journalists and condemns all forms of violence against media , citing one message
which made the following threats: "I know
the people responsible for this programme and their
executives. They will pay the price of infamy".
According to
media reports, the Representative Council
of Jewish Institutions in France and the Embassy of Israel requested a meeting with the President of France Televisions to discuss the TV programme.
The EFJ said that journalists can benefit from
constructive criticism if it is based on
facts, noting that there has been no shred of
evidence of professional error leveled at the programme
makers nor factual inaccuracy in the report.
"We do not do politics,
but journalism," added Ms. Costa,
"And it is not up to any community organisation or any embassy to interfere in editorial matters on programmes by the
French public broadcasting service simply because
they disagreed with the content."
In France, EFJ members are the SNJ (which has launched a
petition on this subject), the SNJ-CGT and USJ-CFDT.
The EFJ
represents more than 260.000 members in over 30 countries
For
more information, please contact the EFJ on + 32
2 235 22 00