“Israel is detaining and prosecuting an American journalist for doing journalism. Will his media colleagues defend him?”
Israeli forces assaulted and detained five journalists, including American investigative reporter Jeremy Loffredo, who is reportedly being charged with “aiding the enemy” following his report on Iran’s ballistic missile attack on targets in Tel Aviv and other parts of the country.
“Today I was beaten, kidnapped, blindfolded and taken to a military base by the Israeli Occupation Forces, together with 4 other journalists,” Andrey X, a Russian journalist posted on X on Wednesday.
“Two of us were held for 11 hours without charges, my phone was confiscated (stolen), and one of us is still in custody,” he added.
Today I was beaten, kidnapped, blindfolded and taken to a military base by the Israeli Occupation Forces, together with 4 other journalists.
Two of us were held for 11 hours without charges, my phone was confiscated (stolen), and one of us is still in custody.
Full story soon.
— Andrey X (@the_andrey_x) October 8, 2024
According to the Israeli YNet news, 28-year-old Loffredo a reporter for US-based The Grayzone News “was arrested by police on suspicion of endangering national security after reporting on where missiles landed in the attack launched by Iran earlier this month including in the IDF’s Nevatim Air Base and an intelligence base in central Israel.”
‘Diplomatic Incident’
The paper claimed that Loffredo said, “that attacks on Gaza were launched from the Nevatim base and said that government’s private jet used by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was located there.”
“The charges against him include aiding the enemy during wartime and providing information to the enemy,” the report added.
According to Israel’s @ynetnews, Israel is charging US journalist Jeremy Loffredo with “aiding the enemy during wartime and providing information to the enemy” for reporting on the Israeli military targets hit by Iran earlier this month.
Israel is detaining and prosecuting an… https://t.co/KnOeUrQvfo pic.twitter.com/QTvTuYtFbX
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) October 10, 2024
His arrest “has raised concerns of a potential diplomatic incident between Israel and the U.S. because of his status as a foreign journalist.”
US embassy representatives attended “a hearing on the request of the police to extend his detention.”
No Attempt to ‘Hide Anything’
The paper quotes Loffredo’s attorney as saying that he “published the information openly and fully, without attempting to hide anything. If this information constitutes aiding the enemy, many other journalists in Israel, including Israeli reporters, should also be arrested.”
“A spy would not have acted so publicly and transparently,” Leah Tsemel added.
Max Blumenthal, the editor of the Grayzone, posted on X: “I’ve just learned that @loffredojeremy was among the journalists arrested by the Israeli military and is still in jail. His phone has been confiscated. That is all I’m able to say for now.”
Fellow Grayzone journalist, Aaron Maté, said “Israel is detaining and prosecuting an American journalist for doing journalism.”
“Will his media colleagues defend him?” he asked on X.
🚨🇮🇱Military arrested journalist Jeremy Loffredo @loffredojeremy 🚨
His last video posted on X reports the damage Iran did to Israel’s strategic locations. Damages the mainstream media did not report. Now @X has locked his acct from repost. pic.twitter.com/YKM2wzWDUi
— GenXGirl (@GenXGirl1994) October 9, 2024
Loffredo’s arrest reportedly follows his report published by The Grayzone on the extensive damage to Israeli military bases struck by Iran in its ballistic missile attack on October 1.
According to a Press TV report, Loffredo, who is based in New York City, traveled to Israel to document “several impact sites that had not been reported by Israeli authorities, including areas near the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
The Israeli Jack Boots.