Police investigate 3 journalists for traveling to Syria, Lebanon

Reporters, including Ynet's Ron Ben-Yishai suspected of traveling to enemy states without permission
Efrat Weiss

The security-economics division of the police's National Serious and Internation Crimes Unit is conducting an investigation of three Israeli journalists who went to Lebanon and Syria. The police decided Thursday to open the investigation, claiming that the journalists exited the country without permission from the Interior Ministry, as the law demands.

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לכתבה המלאה

Journalist Tzur Shizaf was questioned Thursday morning for traveling to Lebanon to write an article for the Israeli travel magazine "Masa Acher." Two other journalists have been investigated over the course of the past month: Ynet reporter Ron Ben-Yishai, who was questioned for traveling to Syria, and Lisa Goldman, who visited Lebanon twice. On Goldman's second journey, she published a report with Channel 10.

The police have announced that they view the accusation that Israeli citizens are traveling to "enemy states" with the utmost seriousness, even if they employ foreign passports.

Additionally, police sources add that apart from the risk to personal safety involved in their journey, the reporters' journey to these countries endangers Israeli security.

Superintendent Alon Shahrbani, the head of the security-economics division told Ynet that "in the past the police investigated journalists and others for going to enemy countries. This kind of crime is punishable by up to four years in prison." When the investigation is concluded, the files will be passed on to the State Prosecutor's Office.