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Israeli Police Arrest Journalist on Suspicion of Meeting With Nuclear Whistleblower Vanunu
Israeli police yesterday arrested British journalist Peter Hounam, who 18 years ago reported Israeli whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu’s revelations about Israel’s nuclear program, according to Agence France-Presse (see GSN, April 21). Hounam, who was arrested in his Jerusalem hotel by agents from the Shin Bet internal security service, was suspected of having been in recent contact with Vanunu to discuss producing a book and possibly a movie, according to Israeli Army radio. The whistleblower, who was recently released from prison after serving 18 years, has been barred from talking with foreigners without prior approval. The Jerusalem district court today issued a gag order preventing any further release of information on Hounam’s arrest, AFP reported (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, May 27). Israeli Government Press Office Director Danny Seaman defended Hounam’s arrest and noted that his office had issued Hounam a press card two weeks ago without difficulty. “This is irregular and so I assume they did not arrest him as a journalist but because for security-related reasons,” Seaman said. “The Shin Bet is a serious organization that deals with serious issues,” he added. Hounam’s attorney Avigdor Feldman, who was allowed to meet with his client today, said, however, that Hounam had not violated any restrictions. “The man was arrested for no reason. He was arrested as part of the security establishment’s never-ending obsession with Vanunu,” Feldman said (Arieh O’Sullivan, Jerusalem Post, May 26).
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