Al-Jazeera reporters arrested at Bil'in protest

Two reporters from Al-Jazeera television were arrested Friday during a demonstration against the security fence, the satellite channel and Israeli police said. Shireen Abu Aqleh, a correspondent for Al-Jazeera, said a cameraman and technician were arrested along with three foreign protesters. She said the foreigners had chained themselves to a fence, and the Al-Jazeera crew was filming an Israeli border guard beating one of the demonstrators when they were arrested. Border troops beat the cameraman, Nabil Mazzawi, during the incident, she added. Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said the cameraman attacked a border guard. He confirmed all five arrests, saying the suspects were being detained for questioning. Al-Jazeera employs 48 journalists in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The two reporters arrested Friday are among 12 Israeli Arabs on the Al-Jazeera staff. Bil'in is the site of weekly demonstrations against the barrier.