Shurat Hadin-Israel Law Center has filed a petition today in the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem asking that the Government Press Office (GPO) be compelled to revoke the press credentials of France 2 television staff and its Jerusalem bureau chief, Mr Charles Enderlin, in light of the network and its staff proceedings in the Muhamad al- Durrah “murder” affair.

On September 30, 2000, two days after the beginning of the Second Intifada, French television broadcasted worldwide footage showing the Palestinian child Muhammad al Durrah, crouched behind his father. The footage depicted al-Durrah and his father seeking cover during a gunfight near the Nezarim junction . In the footage, Enderlin attributed al-Durrah’s death to the I.D.F despite the face he was not at the scene.

The images as seen in the broadcast, add to Enderlin’s voice cover, caused a great shock worldwide, a wave of condemnations against the State of Israel and an increase in anti- Israeli violence in Israel. The Or Commission which was appointed to investigate the “October 2000 Events”, found out that images of al Durrah’s death sparked massive anti- Israeli violence in the Israeli- Arab community and had an enormous impact on the beginning of the “October 2000 Events” and its extent.

However, as time passed it was clear that the footage, filmed by Talal Abu Rahma, the network’s Palestinian cameraman, was staged for the purpose of a Palestinian propaganda. It was clear that the shooting towards al- Durrah and his father couldn’t possibly have been fired from the I.D.F position. Furthermore, Enderling misled viewers, claiming that al-Durrah was murdered by the I.D.F., despite the clear findings of numerous independent investigations on this matter, including the official I.D.F commission of investigation. To this day, Enderling and the French network still insist on his position.

In February 2007, Shurat HaDin sent a warning letter to GPO Director Daniel Seaman demanding that he revoke France 2’s credentials, including Enderlin’s, until the French network and Enderlin retract their allegations against Israel, clarifying that Muhammad al- Durrah was not killed by the I.D.F, and apologize to the state of Israel and its citizens for the great damages caused by the actions of the French network and its staff.

GPO Director Daniel Seaman responded with a formal acknowledgment that Talal Abu Rahma had indeed staged the infamous al-Dura footage. Seamen stated that this footage is a true blood libel against the I.D.F, and acknowledged that the French network is responsible for an unprecedented wave of anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish violence.

Seaman’s letter was the first time the State of Israel confirmed that a journalistic fraud had been perpetrated against the IDF by France 2 television. Nevertheless, despite its findings, Seaman stated that he is not authorized to cancel Enderlin’s or France2’s press credentials.

According to Shurat HaDin Director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner:

“This modern-day blood libel directly resulted in hundreds of Jewish and Arab deaths. It ignited a still-burning torch of hatred against Israel, while images of al-Durrah are being presented in anti-Israeli demonstrations up to this day in Iran, the Arab world, Western Europe, and on the campuses of American universities only for the purpose of raising France 2’s ratings. This was perhaps the greatest journalistic hoax perpetrated in the last hundred years. We demand that those who are responsible for this crime apologize or bear the consequences of their actions in order to avoid the repetition of incidents like this and, moreover, to stop this blood libel once and for all. The GPO must protect a clear Israeli interest like in this case, and cannot claim that it has the authority to issue press credentials but not to revoke them. We truly hope that the High Court judges will only take into account Israeli interests, and compel the GPO to revoke France 2’s credentials.”