OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel Sunday warned foreign journalists against sailing on a flotilla trying to reach the besieged Gaza Strip, saying they could be barred from the country for up to a decade. “The flotilla intends to knowingly violate the blockade that has been declared legally and is in accordance with all treaties and international law,” said a letter sent by Oren Helman, the director of the Israel Government Press Office, to foreign news organizations covering the region. “I would like to make it clear... that participation in the flotilla is an intentional violation of Israeli law and is liable to lead to participants being denied entry into the State of Israel for 10 years, to the impoundment of their equipment and to additional sanctions.” About 10 boats are set to take part in the flotilla that follows one which Israeli commandos halted on May 31, 2010, killing nine Turkish activists. The Foreign Press Association, which represents journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories, slammed the move, saying it “sends a chilling message to the international media and raises serious questions about Israel's commitment to freedom of the press.” “Journalists covering a legitimate news event should be allowed to do their jobs without threats and intimidation. We urge the government to reverse its decision immediately,” the FPA said in a statement. On Thursday, Israel's UN ambassador Ron Prosor said his country was “determined” to prevent the flotilla from reaching the Hamas-ruled Gaza, calling the attempt a “provocation.”
