Washington Post Jerusalem bureau chief William Booth was detained by Border Police in Jerusalem.

Booth was detained at the Damascus Gate outside of the Old City of Jerusalem on accusations of “incitement” and released an hour later after questioning at a nearby police station, the Times of Israel reported, citing a police spokesman.

Booth and a cameraman were interviewing Palestinians at the Damascus Gate when they were arrested.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

A civilian complained to police after he heard one of the interviewees tell Booth she could convince some of the Palestinians in the area to demonstrate against the police if he paid them, the police spokesman told the Times of Israel.

Israel’s Government Press Office later apologized for what it called an “unfortunate misunderstanding.”

“Freedom of the press is a supreme value in the Israeli democracy. Israel is doing its utmost to enable the foreign press to work freely, without any pressure. We call upon the security forces and journalists to act with restraint and to avoid confrontations during these tense times. The GPO endeavors to prevent such incidents; we shall examine today’s events and draw the necessary conclusions,” the GPO said in a statement.

Photos of police detaining Booth were posted by Washington Post reporter in Israel Ruth Marks Eglash and by Israeli media on Twitter moments after he was detained.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount