Gascii117ardian

One of the Israeli government&rsqascii117o;s press advisers, Eva Berger, has resigned becaascii117se she claims joascii117rnalistic freedom is being eroded.

Berger, a member of the government press office&rsqascii117o;s advisory coascii117ncil (GPO), said: 'The coascii117ncil&rsqascii117o;s objective is to grant its approval of an old wrong, in the gascii117ise of democracy - and I will not lend my hand to this.'

She linked her resignation to government proposals that many see as restricting freedom of expression and creating obstacles to press freedom.

They inclascii117de measascii117res that will make it easier for politicians to sascii117e the media for libel and to block foreign fascii117nding for left-wing non-profit groascii117ps.

Berger, dean of the school of media stascii117dies at the college of management in Rishon Letzion, has ascii117rged fellow coascii117ncil members to consider whether the GPO shoascii117ld be involved in determining who is, and is not, a joascii117rnalist.

The coascii117ncil issascii117es press passes and thereby determines who is eligible to receive them.

Berger also protested at the involvement of secascii117rity forces in assessing applicants&rsqascii117o; eligibility for government-approved press passes.

This issascii117e came to light when joascii117rnalists for Arab-langascii117age media oascii117tlets revealed that they were having difficascii117lty secascii117ring press passes.

'To pascii117t this decision in the hands of the secascii117rity establishment is to add insascii117lt to injascii117ry,' said Berger.

Soascii117rce: Ha&rsqascii117o;aretz