Far-right Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu has refused to condemn attacks on journalists after a death threat was spray-painted outside the offices of the Channel 13 news network and a reporter for another network was harassed and threatened.

Instead, Eliyahu on Thursday criticized the Channel 12 reporter, Guy Peleg, for “whining” about it.

The graffiti outside the Tel Aviv offices of Channel 13, which is often critical of the government, read, “The blood of the traitors will be cleared for publication,” the latter part paraphrasing a term generally used by the IDF when it announces the deaths of soldiers.

Peleg, of Channel 12, has come under fire from the right over his airing of leaked footage from the Sde Teiman detention facility last year ostensibly depicting soldiers’ alleged abuse of a detainee from Gaza.

Last week, according to Channel 12, right-wing activists attacked Peleg, threatened him and blocked his car as he tried to get away. Several police officers arrived on the scene to escort him, the network said. In footage published on social media, activist Mordechai David could be seen standing in front of Peleg’s car, with another leaning against the hood, as the reporter sat in the driver’s seat.

When asked by Kan news if he condemned the threats against journalists, Eliyahu instead took aim at Peleg.

“I want to condemn Guy Peleg and his whining,” Eliyahu said in the radio interview.

After the Sde Teiman video leaked last year, several soldiers were detained for questioning over the incident. That prompted a right-wing riot at the base, during which a few far-right........

© The Times of Israel