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(New Republic) Jacob Dallal - I recently finished a four-year stint in the International Press Office of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. In 2002, I escorted the first group of journalists to enter Jenin following the conclusion of fighting there. In that role, I saw how Israel created the conditions under which an enormous lie could enter international discourse as truth. The commander of the operation in Jenin insisted on keeping journalists out because, simply put, he was afraid one of them would get killed. Israel learned a valuable lesson from Jenin: During a low-intensity conflict, give the press maximal access. In the wake of the events in Jenin, the army made media-pool access during every major operation a standard practice. The IDF started embedding reporters with troops, a practice that continues to this day. The army also began giving priority in these pools to foreign reporters.
2005-08-12 00:00:00
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