The Parliamentary press gallery here was empty today as newsmen began their boycott of Knesset proceedings in protest against a series of restrictions on their movement in the Knesset building which also went into effect today. The new regulations forbid newsmen in the Parliamentary restaurant and in most of the corridors, lounges and buffets where newsmen normally buttonhole political figures.
A spokesman for the newsmen rejected a proposal by the Knesset House Committee offering to permit three newsmen to use the restaurant. The committee also proposed cutting a vent in the bullet proof glass shield which cuts off the press gallery from the House floor. This was also rejected by the newsmen, who demanded complete removal of the so-called security shield.
It was noted that the press gallery is not accessible to the public and accredited newsmen should not be subjected to the same “security measures” adopted in relation to the public.
Meanwhile, Premier David Ben Gurion met with editors in an attempt to placate their protests against regulations which prohibit civil servants from giving reporters any information unless it has been prepared specifically for publication purposes. He proposed that in each Ministry several senior officials be named to supply press information and reply to queries from reporters.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
