Manama: An Israel-based woman reporter working for Al Jazeera was asked to remove her bra by Shin Bet at the entrance to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's annual foreign press conference in Occupied Jerusalem on Tuesday evening, Israeli media reported.
The reporter refused to comply and was not allowed into to the hall. Other reporters, including Turkish correspondents, complained of extremely meticulous security inspections that they claimed were humiliating. The Turkish reporters were eventually let into the hall.
Following the incident, the Al Jazeera reporter approached Oren Helman, head of the government press office, who organised the event, and told him that due to the Shin Bet's demands, all Al Jazeera correspondents decided to shun the event, the Israeli media said.
"I regret any mishap, but it is solely the responsibility of the Shin Bet," Helman said.
According to the General Security Service, "all guests were subjected to a security check in accordance with the customary security procedures in such events."
The service confirmed that three female reporters refused to be examined "under these procedures" and decided not to attend the event.
