Do You Know What This Is About?

This letter, I mean:-

January 13, 2011
‏ח' בשבט תשע"א

Respected Members of the Foreign Press,

Re: GPO Annual Cocktail Reception

First of all, I would like to express my regret that journalists left the GPO Annual Cocktail Reception feeling that they were treated in an unbecoming manner by security. Obviously, we do not invite journalists to an event in order to offend them.

The Israel Government Press Office devoted no small effort and means so that the event would be successful and satisfactory to all those who participated.

Paradoxically, at this time, it is important for me to reiterate what I said on Tuesday:

1. You are not only our clients, but you are our preferred clients.
2. We will be receptive to your professional needs, and we will try to assist you as much as possible.
3. My door is always open to you.
I will enquire into the complaints directly with the officials who are solely responsible for all security arrangements, including those at Tuesday's event at the David Citadel Hotel.

Finally, I want to thank you for participation in the event.

I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.

Sincerely Yours,

Oren Helman
Director, Israel Government Press Office

Cc: Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs, Yuli Edelstein

Well it seems that an:

Al-Jazeera reporter asked to remove bra at Netanyahu event

Reminds me of the event with Netanyahu when my wife was requested to remove her hat but being observant of the modesty restrictions of a married woman not revealing one's hair in public, they retired, after some words, to the ladies' room. I wonder if they thought she had a grenade under her chapeau?

Anyway, on to the story:

A pregnant reporter with al-Jazeera TV channel was barred from an annual event for foreign journalists addressed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for refusing to remove her bra during security check.
Najwan Simri Diab told news portal Ynetnews that she was asked to stand in the queue with colleagues and journalists on her arrival to the event venue. She noticed that the guards had created separate queues for Arabs and other journalists. [that is not true. I was there]

Simri Diab, who is based in Israel,

(and not this Simri Diab)

said she had complained to the guards that she could not stand up longer because of her pregnancy. They told her to sit down and wait. [so, they were considerate] They later took her downstairs and asked her to remove her clothes and she complied. "I was left with just my undershirt and trousers, without my shoes and the rest of my equipment," she said. [I have had to remove my shoes] The security check did not end there and she was later asked to remove her bra.

"I asked why, but the female officer insisted. Her supervisor came over later and insisted as well. I refused and she said, 'So you won't go in,'" Simri Diab said.

The al-Jazeera journalist then approached Government Press Office Director Oren Helman, who organised the event and told him that due to the demands placed by Israel's internal security agency Shin Bet that handled the programme, all al-Jazeera correspondents decided to boycott the event.

"We tried to facilitate quick and easy entrance of foreign reporters into the hall and even sent an announcement detailing the hours of admission ahead of time," Helman reacted. [the event started after 7 but we were aksed to be there starting at 4:30PM] Shin Bet said in response, "All guests were subjected to a security check in accordance with the customary procedures in such events. Three female reporters refused to be examined and decided not to attend the event".

Without getting into the merits of such a request - that must have been some bra; underwired? - obviously the way the story appears, it was exploited to full propaganda value.

A clear underground operation.

^