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LONDON: A theater in Jaffa has appealed to Israel’s High Court of Justice after police banned the screening of Palestinian films.

Jaffa’s Al-Saraya Theater argued that the ban constituted an abuse of power and an infringement of artistic freedom, accusing the authorities of overreach and censorship.

Mahmoud Abu Arisha, the theater’s manager, said: “We will fight for our creative space and not accept any entity with pretensions of being a self-appointed censor of artistic creativity and freedom of speech.

“We must not accept the grim reality that the police are trying to shape, in which artists and cultural institutions live under the direct threat of interference in artistic content.”

The theater is seeking an explanation for the police intervention, assurances against future interference, and clarification on any enforcement action taken against the venue or its management.

The appeal follows multiple disruptions of screenings of two controversial documentaries, “Lyd” and “Jenin, Jenin 2,” since August 2024.

“Jenin, Jenin 2,” a sequel to Palestinian filmmaker Mohammad Bakri’s 2002 documentary on the Battle of Jenin during the Second Intifada, examines Israeli military operations in the West Bank city in 2023.

Its screening was blocked in August after police deemed it incitement, summoning Abu Arisha for questioning on suspicion of “disrupting public order.”

Authorities also suspected him of planning to show “Jenin, Jenin,” which was banned in 2021 following a libel suit by an Israeli soldier who appeared briefly in the film.

Abu Arisha argued that the ban on the original film did not apply to its sequel and accused the authorities of exceeding their legal mandate.

Police again summoned Abu Arisha in October, this time ordering him to cancel the screening of “Lyd” — a film exploring an alternate history in which the Nakba never occurred — after Israel’s Culture Minister Miki Zohar raised concerns about its potential impact.

While authorities initially justified blocking “Lyd” by citing an unresolved complaint from Israel’s film rating board, the documentary was eventually shown as part of the Solidarity Film Festival at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.

Zohar asked Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to review the Cinematheque’s funding following the screening, suggesting that festival films may have violated Israel’s so-called Nakba Law, which authorizes the minister to withdraw state funds from any institution or body that commemorates “Israel’s Independence Day or the day on which the state was established as a day of mourning.”

RIYADH: Accuracy in disaster reporting is paramount, British journalist Juliette Foster said during a panel discussion on day one of KSrelief’s fourth humanitarian forum in Riyadh.

“Technology has made it possible for journalists to operate efficiently in crisis zones while affected communities have a channel, but accuracy in reporting should always be paramount,” Foster said.

In a panel discussion titled “The Evolution of Media and Communication Strategies in Emergency Situations,” Foster, along with other panel members, highlighted
the challenges and opportunities for journalists covering emergency situations, such as the optimization of technology use in reporting.

The panel also discussed the balance between information dissemination and the protection of vulnerable populations.

Foster highlighted concerns over perpetrators using sensitive information to target any vector of a person’s identity, to disgrace and degrade either them or their communities.

“I will even go so far as to say that when you have unsafe information circulating posing as a truth, you potentially put at risk the lives, not just in communities, but also of the people who are trying to help them. Misinformation and rumors complicate emergency response efforts and can create panic,” she said.

Journalists have a duty to verify information, be it from social media platforms or other sources, before making it public, Foster added.

“So, please remember to any reporters who are out there, if you are covering disasters, yes, we want you to find the story and to tell it, but please respect the people who are there at the center of action … there are guidelines on navigating these ethical minefields, and in fairness, most journalists follow them. But in the final analysis, preserving the dignity of disaster victims should be at the heart of your coverage,” she said.

There are significant opportunities for enhancing emergency communications, including collaborative journalism, where media organizations, NGOs and local communities work together or embed, which can amplify both the reach and the impact of crisis reporting, Foster added.

“Reporting partnerships can also facilitate access to on-the-ground information, provide logistical support and ensure comprehensive coverage of complex emergencies,” she said.

The panel discussion also included guest speakers Shalhoub Al-Shalhoub, director of public relations and media, and acting director of international communication and the media center at KSrelief; senior humanitarian adviser Maryann Horne; and Nadine Sanders, editor-in-chief of International Voice News. The panel was moderated by Arab News journalist Lama Alhamawi.