JERUSALEM, June 27, 2018 (WAFA) — The Associated Press (AP) said on Wednesday that its chief television producer for Israel and the Palestinian territories, Nebi Qena, was prevented from entering Israeli prime minister’s residence on Tuesday to cover Prince William’s visit after Israeli security questioned him for a long time about his religion and ethnic background causing him to miss the event.

Qena, who is an ethnic Albanian from Kosovo and an Albanian citizen, has been with the AP Jerusalem bureau for three years.

“He said he was repeatedly questioned by security guards about his ‘ethnic origin.’ AP colleagues, on the scene and in the Jerusalem bureau, were asked by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu aides about Qena’s religion and whether he was a Muslim,” said the AP.

“The Associated Press decries this blatant ethnic and religious profiling of an AP journalist and calls on the prime minister’s office to cease such biased practices immediately,” said Lauren Easton, the AP’s director of media relations.

The AP said the Netanyahu’s office later apologized for the incident saying it was a “human error.”

M.K.