Threatening Graffiti in Tel Aviv Targets Journalists

Graffiti inciting violence against journalists from News 12, 13 and 11 / Maariv, Saar Hass

Graffiti was sprayed overnight, Tuesday, on several walls of buildings in southern Tel Aviv and near the News 12 newsroom. One of the inscriptions read: "Greetings to the traitors 13 12 11, Peleg, Druker, Abramovich, criminals. You will pay with the blood of your loved ones." Police located the graffiti and opened an investigation, during which footage from security cameras in the area was collected in an attempt to trace those responsible. Police view the incidents seriously and note that so far no formal complaint has been received regarding the graffiti.

Another graffiti inscription was sprayed at the community center in the Beitza'ron neighborhood / Official website, without

News 12 responded: "We call on the Israel Police to act quickly against those behind the graffiti sprayed inciting violence against journalists from News 12, 13 and 11." The company stressed in its statement that "this is not the first time that such a message has been sprayed. This time it is a direct, explicit and clear threat, this is a bright warning light and law enforcement must act immediately accordingly."

Channel 11's Kan News also strongly condemned the graffiti inciting against the media: "It is impossible to view the incident in isolation from the ongoing attempts to delegitimize the free Israeli press and the attempts to harm its independence and weaken it. We call on the police, which did not act forcefully in similar previous cases, to act immediately to locate the inciters and bring them to justice."

Channel 13 News was no less unmoved: "The graffiti identified this morning is another serious step in the campaign of incitement and agitation against journalists and media outlets in Israel. We call on the Israel Police, and not for the first time, to act decisively to locate those responsible and bring them to trial. To anyone engaged in spreading hatred, threats and incitement, we say: stop before things end in loss of human life."

In addition, News 13 approached the police this morning and filed a complaint on the matter.