Al Jazeera reporter denied entry to Israeli PM conference after refusing to remove bra

Al Jazeera reporter denied entry to Israeli PM conference after refusing to remove bra

2011-01-12 12:33:15 GMT+7 (ICT)

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BNO NEWS) -- A female Al Jazeera reporter on Wednesday claimed that she was not allowed to enter Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's annual foreign press conference because she refused to remove her bra during a security check, local media reported.

A number of reporters complained of extreme and humiliating security measures conducted by the Israeli Security Agency Shin Bet during Netanyahu's annual foreign press conference, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The unnamed Al Jazeera reporter said she went to Israeli Government Press Office Director Oren Helman to inform him that all of the agency's reporters had decided not to enter the conference because of the extreme security measures, which reportedly would have forced her to take off her bra.

While Turkish reporters and other journalists from different countries also complained, the General Security Service told the paper that "all guests were subjected to a security check in accordance with the customary security procedures in such events."

The security service also confirmed that three female reporters had refused to be examined under the procedures and decided not to attend the event.

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