Bassam Tawil • April 27, 2017
In the world
of the Palestinian Authority (PA) leadership, a journalist's loyalty to his
leaders and their cause supersedes his loyalty to the truth. In a word, it is
the truth vs. Abbas's security forces.
- As
the international media relies heavily on Palestinian journalists and
"media assistants" in covering Palestinian affairs, this
intimidation of Palestinian journalists heavily colors the reporting of
Western journalists. The stories Palestinian journalists tell their Western
colleagues are limited to ones that will not endanger their own lives.
This censorship, whether by the Abbas's security forces or self-imposed,
explains why one rarely reads or sees a story in Western mainstream media
about negative things happening in the PA-controlled territories.
- Even
when their Palestinian colleagues are beaten and arrested by Abbas's
security forces, these "journalists" fail to report such
incidents. This makes some sense: should they open their mouths with the
truth, Abbas and his cohorts might indeed stop inviting them to press
conferences and banquets in the fancy restaurants of Ramallah, Bethlehem
and Jericho.
Seven Palestinian journalists are the latest victims of the
Palestinian Authority's (PA) continued crackdown on the media.
The repressive measures are aimed at silencing critical voices
among the journalists and deterring others from reporting stories that reflect
negatively on the Palestinian leadership in particular and Palestinians in
general.
In the view of President Mahmoud Abbas and his PA, Palestinian
journalists exist to write stories slamming Israel or praising PA leaders.
Media, for them, is defined as a mouthpiece for Abbas, the PA leadership and
the Palestinian cause.
Any journalist who dares to think outside this checkpoint is
subject to severe punishment. Under Abbas and the PA, there is no room for an
independent media.
The three major Palestinian newspapers -- Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam
and Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda -- are controlled, directly and indirectly, by
the PA.
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