Israel
Spain's elDiario.es says Israel revoked its correspondent's visa hours before her flight
By Jewish Life Staff, . Jewish Life.
A Spanish journalist was told her Israeli entry permit had been cancelled just hours before her scheduled flight, her employer reported Thursday, the latest in a string of foreign correspondents blocked from covering Israel's upcoming elections.
What happened
Francesca Cicardi, the Middle East correspondent for the Spanish news website elDiario.es, learned of the visa revocation with little notice before her departure, according to elDiario.es. Haaretz, which reported the incident, said Cicardi is the fifth foreign journalist denied entry to Israel in the span of two weeks.
The broader pattern
Haaretz described the denials as part of continued restrictions on foreign journalists covering Israel's elections, with the publication noting that outlets seen as critical of the government have been particularly affected. The report did not name the other four journalists or specify which outlets they work for.
Israel's government had not, according to the reports available, publicly explained the decision in Cicardi's case or addressed the pattern of denials.