Israel Matzav

J Post reporter thrown out of Ahmadinejad press conference

In the meantime, our clearly un-Iranian appearance was garnering attention, with or without us attempting to draw it to ourselves. We were on the receiving end of ample stares and glares from our non-colleagues.

The camera-toting journalist from the elevator came over to us. It was clear from his demeanor that he wasn’t going to bring up becoming Facebook friends.

“Where are you from?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m from New Jersey,” I responded. Which, technically, is true.

“You know that that’s not what I mean,” he said, starting to reach for my press pass around my neck.

How to respond? “The Zionist Entity,” I wondered? Or perhaps “The Zionist Regime”? I stepped away from his hand. “The Jerusalem Post.”

“THE JERUSALEM POST?” he responded, incredulously. “Well, YOU have to leave.” He leaned forward, somewhat menacingly. “And you KNOW why.”

“Do I?” I asked.

He walked away and started whispering to another reporter. The second reporter then walked over to another man in the requisite gray suit jacket and no tie, who looked over.

Sometimes, people don’t have to wear a nametag or badge for you to know who they are. And there was no ambiguity whatsoever, without introduction, that the guy approaching us now was part of the Ahmadinejad security detail. And clearly, I – a 5’2 Jewish woman from New Jersey – was a security risk.

“You have to go,” he said, wearing what Dave would later call ‘thug face.’ “You have to go right now.”

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:16 AM