ABC Holyland

An article by Elahn    2 Comments

Wednesday the 23rd April. Took the bus to Jerusalem today as I managed to get myself some editing work at the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). I asked Craig Berkman in Brisbane for a contact as he worked here at one time. The office is manned by about 3 or 4 guys in the JCS Building on Jaffa Rd (Jerusalem Central Studios). The building is a smorgasbord of news network opportunities – ABC Australia, ABC America, BBC, CBS, Al Jazeera and more.

Coming in at about 9am i met the producer and journalist I was to work with. The Australian sense of humour and spirit is alive and well on the fifth floor and even a local assistant David got the Aussie monicker of Davo now. The view of surrounding biblical holiness is a surreal sight.

The view down Jaffa Rd.

The news story I was to edit was about the militant hamas group having acquired new and more efficient weapons to kill Israelis with. Adding surreal to surreal, here was a story about a group who wants to kill Jews, and here is Jewish editor and producer working on the story.

The ABC Jerusalem editsuite. A somewhat more interesting room to work in than Brisbane or even Melbourne. Better coffee also.

Now here is something you don’t get asked much – Do you want to come to Gaza to do some editing.

Hmmm…

Why was I asked this? The journalist goes there a lot to cover stories and stays down there for a few days gathering what footage he needs, hiring a local (Gaza local) cameraman and editor. If I wanted to stay a little longer and pickup some work I could come with him to edit the footage.

I didn’t tell my mum this yet. She got on a plane tonight heading home, so i didn’t want her to feel worried I was about to land myself in a trouble spot. Yet it’s scary exciting to think about it.