Ziv Koren, an Israeli photojournalist who worked for Israeli Defense Forces and the Government Press, has been caught in the midst of a heated controversy over the photograph of a naked Ethiopian woman he uploaded on his Facebook page recently.

Many Facebook users said they were shocked and disgusted to see the photograph of the woman, naked and emerging out of a bath tub, reported Haaretz. Viewers slammed Koren for taking advantage of the vulnerable position of his subject at the time of photographing.

That woman probably doesn't know Hebrew, and whoever translated surely didn't explain that it was artistic photography and that she should feel free to refuse, an angry Facebook user commented. It must be understood what's going on with the immigrants, they are passed on the message in simplistic words or hints, that if they refuse to participate in the religious ceremonies they won't be accepted to in Israel.

Upon contacted by the IB Times, Koren declined to comment on whether he had obtained the consent of the woman before clicking the photograph.

Koren photographed the woman in 2006 for a documentary on Israel's immigrants.

Responding to the public outrage on Facebook, Koren, 42, took down the photograph, but clarified to Haaretz that he is doing so out of concern for the safety of his subject and that he wasn't succumbing to the pressure.

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