The May election of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister has had little effect on these conditions.
Palestinian journalists chafe under severe limitations on their freedom of movement.
In the aftermath of a series of suicide bombings in Israel, the Israeli government closed access to Israel from the West Bank and Gaza and in the process, even prevented accredited Palestinian journalists from both the local and foreign press from entering the country. During that period, Israeli authorities also denied Palestinian journalists access to East Jerusalem, where many press offices are located. Even when the Israelis partially lifted the closure, Palestinian journalists faced obstacles in gaining entrance into Israel. In May, members of the Association of Palestinian Broadcasting Journalists were denied permits to travel to Israel to report on the Israeli elections. Other Palestinian journalists, meanwhile, complain about the daily impediments they face entering and exiting Jerusalem.