VIENNA CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF TREATIES
Bi-national Chambers of Commerce
Meet the Foreign Press
By Ksenia Svetlova
During operation Cast Lead, when Israeli and foreign journalists
were groaning together on the border between Gaza and Israel, frustrated about
not being able to get inside, a veteran foreign journalist, who has been
working in the region for more then 20 years told me laughingly that during the
years of peace process his bureau almost closed down. “Back then everybody was
really concerned for their work places. It seemed that peace is just around the
corner, and when it will happen, the foreign journalists will be no longer
needed. We thought that in no time we would have to leave or concentrate on
trans-border tomato growing” he said. Well, unfortunately that scenario didn’t
materialize as planned, and the foreign journalists stayed right where they
were: skipping between Jerusalem and Ramallah, Gaza and Jenin, reporting about
the new victims and old politicians, covering funerals, elections and
inaugurations. The intifada was followed disengagement in Gaza (2005), elections
in PA(2006), war in Lebanon (2006), coup d’etate in Gaza (2007), operation Cast
Lead (2009) and this is just partial list of important and unforgettable events
that made huge headlines all over the world. Yet lately it seems that foreign
journalists in Israel experience “dry season” all over again. Although the
situation here is far from being perfectly calm, the daily routine of Qassam
here and there, Gaza shelling once in a while, sporadic arrests in West Bank and
ongoing FATAH-HAMAS bash doesn’t seem to be enough to provide high-profile
stories and headlines. Three foreign correspondents: Claudio Pagliara who works
for Italian RAI, Sergey Pashkov – the Middle East bureau chief of Russian
governmental broadcast corporation and Richard Schneider, German ARD bureau
chief agreed to share their experiences of the years spent in Israel, and
reflections on the current situation..
Q.What is the special significance of being a foreign journalist
in the Middle East particularly today? Especially in the age of citizen
reporters and social networks?
Claudio Pagliara
I’m a Middle East foreign correspondent for Italian network RAI,
based in Jerusalem. Middle East is very relevant important for a country like
Italy who sent me here. Everything that happens here effects the global
stability, especially since many issues that traditionally were associated
with the Middle East became very important for us at home. For example, in Italy
now we are also dealing with radical Islam. We talk about this phenomenon which
is now a domestic problem for Italy, we’d like to understand how our country is
affected by it, how can we deal with polygamy, covered women etc.
Sergey Pashkov
I live here since late summer of 2003 when we re-established our
bureau in Jerusalem. Back then our administration rightly assumed that Israel
will continue to be a hub for many significant events, so there was a need for
local bureau. When I came to Israel, I travelled to Tel Aviv where our previous
office was located, then I went to Jerusalem and immediately made up my mind. I
thought then and I think now that Jerusalem is the perfect place for a foreign
journalist, due to it close proximity to Knesset, Ramallah and the central part
of Israel. During the intifada the proximity to PA was especially important. Of
course, you can also get all the important information without leaving Moscow
through news agency. But our work is different. We bring exclusive stories and
unique footage, and for that you need personal contacts, you need to live and
create here.
Richard Schneider
I’ve been working here since 2006. I’ve been to Israel before,
but as a visiting reporter, who travelled all around the world. Now I’m based
here, and I don’t travel as much, but still it is a very dynamic experience. You
know that anything can happen very quickly, anything can explode anytime and you
have to be ready when it happens.
Q. After so many years of ongoing conflict in the Middle East, is
there still a need for news flow from here at your end?
Claudio Pagliara
I do feel that people at home are tired of the usual political
stories, so now we are concentrating on human stories. Here, in Israel and PA a
journalist can easily locate hundreds of those. Israeli society is extremely
rich and diverse, and so is the Palestinian society where people are very
resourceful and creative. The last story I worked on in Gaza is fascinating. A
few young fellows managed to establish a successful ringtone production company
which they run from their basement in one the houses in Gaza, and recently they
got a big contract with one of the major telephone companies to provide them
Arabic and English ringtones. I feel that sometimes I break stereotypes, for
example when I report about a book of Amos Oz that is being translated into
Arabic, and that significant change that the West bank is going through today.
Richard Schneider
We have the same situation in Germany. Currently we are hardly
doing any news, mostly magazine stories. We produce 6-9 documentaries each year
and we are focusing on in depth stories, and also with stories that don’t have
to do with conflict.
Sergey Pashkov
Today if you want to reach out to people and interest them with
your stories, you need to keep up to very high standards, because they are used
to high profile stories by now. If you are doing a story about Gaza tunnels,
you need at least to get inside, if not to cross to another side. Couple of
Qassam rockets in the Negev now don’t evoke a great deal interest, since just
recently we reported from a real war and news consumers want drama. Nowadays
everybody is waiting to see what will happen with Iran and that’s why many
bureaus continue to function.
Q. An old joke says that for every two Jews there are at least
three opinions. In Israel and PA there are so many narratives, which often
contradict with each other. Are you being criticized sometimes for choosing one
narrative or version of story over another? Do you believe in absolute
objectivity?
Richard Schneider
Until now no official side ever complained about my work or
accused me of anything. As for the reactions, well usually I get equally
bashed by both sides. And since the bash comes from both sides I feel that I’m
doing my work right. During the Cast lead operation we were working 24/7 and
reported a lot about the implications of the war. So we got plenty of critical
reactions: approximately 48-51% acclamation and criticizing from both sides.
Also, I remember very well an incident that took place after I reported on a
clash between settlers and Palestinians from a neighboring village. Following
the broadcast I got an angry mail from a European Jew who wrote to me that I
behave like the spokesman of the Palestinian. Soon another viewer, an Arab,
blamed me for my “overt sympathies “ to the Jews. So what I did is, I sent to
each of these guys another letter (without names and email addresses, of
course).
Sergey Pashkov
Sometimes it’s difficult to escape the temptation to support one
side or another to become an active element in this conflict. I suppose that
the balanced position is a product of experience and age. It does not exclude
emotional engagement, yet I believe that reporters should act like doctors who
treat everybody.
I remember that during operation Cast Lead I was cursed by both
sides, and I can’t say that I was surprised by that. Once I reported on a family
in Gaza that lost 16 of it members in a few seconds: their house was heavily
shelled by Israeli aviation. I went inside and I saw bleeding people, somebody
was holding a baby who lost an eye. The central room that was shelled used to be
a children’s room and I saw the remains of small beds and uniforms…How can you
not show that? And then you hear the reactions on the Israeli side “The Kremlin
journalist Pashkov and his traditional hatred of Jews” etc. I understand that
perhaps the author of these lines for a bit of a moment felt for these kids, and
it scared him, so he chose the anger over empathy.
Claudio Pagliara
A reporter might feel close to the people, but he must always
seek the balance. At the same time, I don’t believe in absolute neutrality in
journalism, I don’t believe in not being involved at all. We are human beings,
after all. Psychologically it’s very hard. I remember the first day of my
arrival in 19 of August 2003. I just arrived from Paris, and by 8 o’clock in
the morning there was a major terrorist attack in Jerusalem, in bus number 2. It
is a line which goes through Orthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem. 25 people were
killed. I have all the memories from the site. And of course the funeral
afterwards.
Q. Are there any unique difficulties you must contend with
professionally working in Israel?
Claudio Pagliara
During Cast lead operation the reporters were prevented from
entering to Gaza all along the war, I believer it was counterproductive decision
for Israel, and it was controversial also in Israel. When I entered Gaza, I
discovered many facts – I interviewed the human shield – a lady who were inside
a building of many floors that was taken by HAMAS to shoot rockets at Israel.
Also, I found out that one of the schools that reportedly was shelled by Israel,
all the shelling happened outside the building. And all of these things were
reported as a fact by some journalists. I believe that the coverage could be
more fair. It was very frustrating to be there on the border.
Richard Schneider
The war in Gaza was a very frustrating experience. We have an
office in Gaza and while I was on the phone with one of my colleagues, we heard
explosions and I was very afraid for them.
Of course, I’m a human being and I accumulate feelings and
emotions about things that shock me. I’ve been coming to this region for 20
years now, and it’s hard to see the ongoing conflict, suffering and loss of
life.
Sergey Pashkov
It’s not very difficult to work here, but there are some nuances.
Psychologically it’s difficult to observe the human suffering, it takes time to
get used to the way you are treated in the airport, to the slackitude of the
people who are responsible for relations with the Foreign press. I especially
remember the coverage of Makkabiada. It seems to me as exactly the case when the
foreign journalist should be informed, yet we weren’t allowed to film the
ceremony at the stadium, and we were told that some American Jewish organization
was given the filming rights. At the same time, usually when you live in one
place long enough and know many people, you can resolve almost all the problems.
Q. After so many years in Israel, do you feel a part of the
Israeli landscape ? Do you have a sense of “home away from home” here?
Richard Schneider
I have a very strong personal attachment to Israel as I live my
daily life here and I plan to be here for quite a while. At the same time, I
don’t feel that I really belong here. In fact I don’t think that I belong
anywhere. As a child of immigrants, I often feel that my home is where my
friends are.
Claudio Pagliara
Before I came to Israel, I moved a lot. I refer to myself as
Ulisses who is always on his way to somewhere. I like Jerusalem very much and
during seven years of my stay here I learned some Hebrew so I could communicate
with my friends and understand better the life around me. When I started
learning Hebrew I also understood more things about the Bible, and it gave me a
push. Now I can use Hebrew during interviews and it helps a lot. I believe it’s
very important to dedicate time to things like that.
Sergey Pashkov
I became very fond of this land and its people, on both sides of
the fence. By now I have a feeling that I know everybody here, as I got in touch
with so many people producing different stories on politics, economics,
religion, social life etc. My home is Russia, but I feel very at ease here in
Israel, perhaps also because so many Israelis speak Russian.
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