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| Israel-Palestine |
| Palestinian journalists boycott PA coverage |
| 2004-02-15 |
| In a civil war you have no choice except to take sides. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate in the Gaza Strip has called on its members to stop covering events related to the Palestinian Authority’s security forces to protest against continued attacks on journalists. The boycott, which goes into effect on Sunday, is also directed against the PA Ministry of Justice, which is accused of failing to take appropriate measures to punish the perpetrators. The journalists were instructed not to cover the activities of the security forces or interview their commanders until tough measures are taken against those responsible for a spate of attacks on correspondents and newspaper and TV offices. On Sunday, the journalists are expected to stage a sit-in strike outside the offices of the Gaza City prosecutor to demand an inquiry into three recent cases in which local journalists were targeted in the Gaza Strip. Last week some 200 journalists from the Gaza Strip declared a one-day strike to protest against the recurring attacks on their colleagues. The boycott decision was taken over the weekend in response to the torching of a car belonging to Munir Abu Rizek, the Gaza City bureau chief for the PA daily Al-Hayat al-Jadeeda. The incident took place early Friday morning, while the car was parked outside Abu Rizek’s home in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City. A statement issued by the syndicate condemned the attacks as "a new chapter in the campaign of terror directed against Palestinian journalists." The statement pointed out that the attacks came "at the peak of a barbaric aggression by the occupation on our people and in the light of the absence of deterrence and order and law." Abu Rizek said he did not know who set his car on fire and denied receiving threats prior to the torching. He expressed fear that he PA security forces would not make a serious effort to pursue the perpetrators, noting that similar attacks in the past remain unresolved. Earlier this month, three more attacks on journalists were reported in Ramallah and Gaza City. In the first case, three masked Palestinian gunmen carrying AK-47 rifles stormed the offices of the Ramallah-based Al-Quds Educational Television. Assistant Manager Haroun Abu Arrah, one of two station employees present at the time, told the Committee to Protect Journalists that one of the men demanded that he hand over a tape. When Abu Arrah asked for clarification, the gunmen began beating the two staffers with rifle butts and fists. Abu Arrah said that after the beating, two of the assailants went into another room and fired several rounds at some of the station’s equipment, destroying computer screens and video equipment. Abu Arrah and his colleague managed to escape unharmed. In 1997, the PA police arrested Daoud Kuttab, director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al-Quds University (which is responsible for the TV station) after the station broadcast live proceedings of a Palestinian Legislative Council debate. The PA had repeatedly jammed the live coverage prior to the arrest because some legislators had voiced criticism of the Palestinian leadership and called for implementing financial reforms. Kuttab was released a week later following a campaign launched by local and international press and human rights organizations. In the second incident, also in Ramallah, armed thugs went on the rampage inside the offices of the private Amwaj, or Waves, radio station. In the third case, unidentified gunmen broke into the offices of a Gaza City weekly, destroying equipment and furniture. The attack on the offices of the recently established Al-Daar (The Home) was carried out during the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha, when the workers were on holiday. Hassan al-Kashif, the editor-in-chief, said he believes that the vandalism came in retaliation for the newspaper’s editorial stance against official corruption in the PA. Kashif said he holds the PA responsible for capturing the attackers and bringing them to trial. Earlier this year, five armed Fatah activists beat Saif al-Din Shahin, a correspondent for the Dubai-based satellite news channel Al-Arabiya, after intercepting his car at a major Gaza City intersection. Shahin said the attackers identified themselves as Fatah activists and warned him against referring to their group in his reporting. The attack was apparently in response to a report by Shahin that many Palestinians were unhappy with the paramilitary parades Fatah held in the Gaza Strip on the 39th anniversary of its establishment. The Ramallah offices of the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya have also been targeted. Last September, five masked gunmen stormed the offices and destroyed office equipment, including computer screens and furniture. The assailants said they were from Fatah’s armed wing, the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. I couldn’t bring myself to EFL this. Its just too perfect! |
| Posted by:phil_b |
| #7 I never said we'd take care of them, I agree with you on that Badanov. I just wondered how long would it take before they started begging again. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-2-15 1:08:32 PM |
| #6 I wonder how long it would take before thousands start to camp outside the gates of the wall, begging to be let into Isreal? F*ck all that. Years of looking the other way while terrorist murders have been plotted and executed has its price. Let Jordan or Egypt take care of these individuals. |
| Posted by: badanov 2004-2-15 12:47:15 PM |
| #5 Your assuming they'll get a state, and if they do that it will last. Without the Isreali economy the Paleos have nothing but terrorist organizations. And if that happens, the terrorists will steal the water, food, clothing, money, and more all in the name of Allah. I wonder how long it would take before thousands start to camp outside the gates of the wall, begging to be let into Isreal? |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-2-15 11:28:59 AM |
| #4 welcome to freedom of the press in the future corrupt state of palestine |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-2-15 10:58:14 AM |
| #3 Holy crap a new record! 750 word article and no mention that it's the JEWS behind it all. Perhaps that's simply assumed... |
| Posted by: Hyper 2004-2-15 9:37:25 AM |
| #2 is it me? Or is this months news just full of stuff that makes you think, wow! |
| Posted by: B 2004-2-15 8:44:46 AM |
| #1 Bwahahahahaha! Paleo's are noticing where the money's going and they don't like it! |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-2-15 8:28:30 AM |