US official praises Palestinian Arab press

A US official in the American Consulate in Jerusalem celebrated World Press Freedom Day in Ramallah:

Today, 3 May, is the United Nations' World Press Freedom Day, celebrated around the world. The United States consul for press affairs in Jerusalem, Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, invited members of the Palestinian press to a special celebration in the West Bank city of Ramallah to honour the achievements of Palestinian journalists.

In her speech, Schweitzer-Bluhm applauded the Palestinian journalists for their "dedication to service", "commitment to getting at the truth" and "solidarity and bravery in the face of intimidation."

She particularly expressed her appreciation of the obstacles Palestinian media personnel must overcome to carry out their jobs, mentioning roadblocks, checkpoints, accusations of bias, threats, violence and gunfire. "Despite these obstacles, you do get the news out every day," she congratulated.

She applauded Palestinian journalists for challenging their own government, governments of neighbouring countries and the government of the United States. "Your inquiries and reports are a required part of a democratic Palestinian society," she said. "You are providing your fellow citizens with the information, the tools, to make decisions and be active members of their society. I urge you to continue to question and investigate and report."

Schweitzer-Bluhm described all attacks on journalists and freedom of speech as "despicable", adding, "And to those who would try to intimidate you or curtail your freedom of speech, I say no one is free if there is not freedom of information," she said.

Now, I spend a fair amount of time reading Palestinian Arab news sources in both English and autotranslated Arabic. With one exception, every major news source is clearly aligned with a political party, and the news is slanted that way (for example, Fatah-leaning newspapers will refer to Fatah victims of intraPal violence as "martyrs", and Hamas-leaning papers will do the same for Hamas victims.) With one exception, even basic journalistic standards of unbiased reporting is completely ignored in the Palestinian Arab media. Wafa, Al-Ayyam, Al-Hayat al-Jadida, Paltoday - all of them have the journalistic standards of the National Enquirer.

The one exception is Ma'an News, which to its credit will take on PalArab corruption and internal violence. Ma'an is not afraid to report negative things about the PA.

But its impartiality ends at the Green Line. While a Reuters or an AP may highlight and believe every absurd claim of violence that PalArabs have against Israel, they will at least mention if Israel denies the accusation. Not so for Ma'an - any random "witness" is believed completely when the accusation is against Israel, and no attempt is even made to confirm these stories.

I don't know whether the reason for Ma'an's partiality is because their reporters have no interest in the truth, or if they are afraid to report the truth, or if they are simply so brainwashed that they can't even conceive that there might be another side to the story. But there is simply no Palestinian Arab news outlet that can be said to be helpful in advancing the cause of peace with Israel.

And Ma'an is the best of the lot. One only needs to read Palestinian Media Watch or MEMRI to see the blatant anti-semitism, lionization of death and murder, and absurd hate that permeates the Palestinian Arab media.

And for this US official to praise this supposed press freedom without any reservations is very troubling indeed.

UPDATE: Islamic Jihad celebrated World Press Freedom Day with a statement that perverts the entire idea of freedom. Autotranslated from Paltoday:

Demanded that the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine today, the occasion of World Press Freedom Day today, Thursday,, the masses of journalists, to focus on the fundamentals it meets all our people away from the differences and contradictions Media battalion is developed in all our battles.

The movement said in a statement the "Palestine today," a copy of which, the role played by the media in highlighting the novel and impose national, and avoid discord and show Unionist voice of our people.

The movement said in a statement "the day World Press Freedom Day, journalists live atmosphere of persecution and oppression and gagged and confiscated liberties, spared no prosecutions were kidnapped and killed and arrested, at the hands of the enemies of freedom around the world, topped by the head of the evil American and pampered State of the Zionist entity."

Nice of them to tell the media what they should cover to advance their cause. The fact that they have RPGs to back up their request shouldn't be a problem at all.

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International Federation of Journalists admits its pro-PalArab bias

In a press release condemning Hamas for restricting press freedom, the International Federation of Journalists states:

“This intimidation and political bullying of journalists does great damage to the Palestinian cause,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “It undermines efforts of journalists throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip to work together to build a unified media movement in favour of stability and democratic development.”

So the major reason to push for more press freedoms in Gaza isn't to help inform the world about truth, but rather to further the "Palestinian cause."

Can you imagine a statement from any international agency professing support for the "Zionist cause" the way that these supposedly objective journalists explicitly support the "Palestinian cause?"

Apparently, press freedom is only important when it goes towards issues that the press supports. In 2002, the union gently chided Palestinian Arab journalists for unilaterally deciding not to take pictures of Palestinian Arab children with weapons - because those pictures were being used by some people to show PalArab depravity. No condemnation, just a statement that "We understand the deep frustration that journalists feel about those who try to manipulate the media message, but journalists need more freedom to do their job in Palestine, not less."

The subtext is that of course it is the journalists who decide what is important and which should be highlighted - and which ignored. They choose the message and they aren't thrilled with those who "manipulate" it.

The IFJ claims to represent over 500,000 journalists in 110 countries. It includes members from the US - four unions are members - as well as Israel.

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Freedom of the press, PalArab style (II)

A nice followup to yesterday's story about PalArab press freedom, from the Jerusalem Post:

A prominent Palestinian journalist from the Gaza Strip has sought political asylum in Norway, Palestinian journalists said Saturday.

Seif al-Din Shahin, the correspondent for the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel network, left the Gaza Strip together with his family, they said, noting that he had received many death threats over the past few months.

Shahin's request has yet to be approved by the Norwegian government. Several other Palestinian journalists are also reported to have fled the Gaza Strip out of fear for their lives.

Earlier this year, masked gunmen set fire to the offices of Al-Arabiya in Gaza City, causing heavy damage to furniture and equipment. Although no group claimed responsibility, Palestinian journalists blamed members of Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades.

The group was also responsible for beating Shahin in two separate incidents in 2001 and 2004. The second assault followed Shahin's live broadcast of a rally held on Fatah's anniversary. The report angered Fatah leaders who had instructed Shahin and other journalists to report that tens of thousands had participated.

In 2003 he was arrested by the Palestinian Authority security forces because of his reporting. Al-Arabiya's offices in Ramallah have also been attacked by Fatah gunmen on a number of occasions.

I like the fact that Fatah threatens reporters for not lying about the size of their rallies. Which means, of course, that many reporters willingly lie to the world for the Fatah terror thugs. Nice!

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Today's PalArab press roundup

Keep them in cages: Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman denied earlier reports that Abbas was amenable to permanently settling any Palestinian Arabs in Jordan. Because what good are they when they are happy?

Olmert's parting shot at surrender? The PalArab media has reported that Ehud Olmert offered to apologize to Palestinian Arabs for the "naqba" in 1948. I couldn't find this in the English media. The PLO welcomed the move and, in reciprocation, said it was not enough and demanded everything else they always demand as well.

Legacy of fewer checkpoints?: A PalArab woman was detained in Netanya with a "large bag". Reports said that she had told her family that she would be "the headline of a big story." No details in the Israeli press yet about this.

Freedom of the press, Hamas-style: A journalist for the Fatah-based Wafa agency was arrested by Hamas in Gaza.

Egyptians trying to open Rafah: An Egyptian group is going to try to "break the siege" of Gaza on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. This is probably the same ISM- and Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated group that tried last week.

Meanwhile, Egypt is planning to open Rafah this weekend for patients and students as well as Ramadan pilgrims, plus probably a few terrorists just to mix things up.

That Brazilian Jewish lobby: An article in Firas about how the Jews in Brazil control the media and don't allow any pro-Arab opinions to be publicized.

Stop killing Arabs and go back to killing Jews: Islamic Jihad remains saddened at the internal fighting that happened this week and urges Hamas to get back to doing what it does best, terror.

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Freedom of the press, PalArab style (III)

Another story showing how progressive Hamastan is:

The Hamas-affiliated Executive Force on Wednesday stormed the media tower in Tal Al-Hawa, in the south of Gaza City, and stole the car and mobile telephone of Palestine TV satellite channel manager, Muhammad Dawoudi.

Media sources told Ma'an that the Executive Force entered Dawoudi's home in the residential part of the tower and attempted to arrest him, yet dozens of journalists intervened and prevented the arrest.

The Union of Palestinian Journalists has condemned the repeated assaults against journalists, in general, and this attack against Dawoudi in particular.

In a statement to Ma'an, the union declared "such conduct represent a violation of the freedom of opinion", describing the attacks as "ideological terrorism" against journalists.

This of course begs the question of how so many liberals (like Jimmy Carter) can support a movement that goes against everything that is supposed to be important to liberals - like, you know, freedom.

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Freedom of the press, PalArab-style (IX)

The series continues....
From AP via Jpost:

Hamas militiamen tried to arrest a prominent Palestinian journalist late Saturday, but left the scene at the urging of Hamas political leaders after a group of reporters blocked the force from entering the man's home.

The attempted arrest of Agence France Press reporter Sakher Abu El Oun came a day after Hamas beat a group of journalists covering a demonstration protesting the Islamic militant group's rule in the Gaza Strip. Abu El Oun, who heads the Gaza journalists' union, harshly criticized the Hamas crackdown.

About 15 Hamas security men arrived at his home late Saturday, saying they had orders to arrest him. Abu El Oun called some colleagues, who rushed to the scene and formed a human chain around the home.

Within minutes, officials from the office of deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas official in Gaza, arrived to end the standoff. The officials persuaded the militiamen to leave, calling the incident a "misunderstanding."

"Everything has been settled and freedom of speech and journalism is respected," said Taher Nunu, a spokesman for Haniyeh.

AFP did not immediately comment.

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Freedom of the press, PalArab-style (X)

A British reporter details three incidents where Hamas stopped him from doing his job - and yet he still does everything he can to softpedal it.

From the Times (UK):

"I was arrested by Hamas"
Today I was detained while watching a demonstration by female students Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip.

They had gone on strike at noon in protest against the killings in the rally yesterday, and they had made their way to a nearby police station where they were singing and chanting. In particular, they yelled: 'Shia, Shia, Shia,' which is a reference to Hamas being funded by Iran.

Within a few minutes, baton-wielding police laid into the girls. Some fell to the ground, but most ran away.

As this was happening, some other members of the police force grabbed me and dragged me into a cell. They pushed me against the wall, and one of the officers shouted: 'Hit him, hit him, hit him' in Arabic.

They snatched the camera from me, and one of the police officers urged his colleagues to break my camera. Then, my cameraman was dragged into the room too.

Another police officer, more senior than the others, eventually arrived and insisted on viewing the videotape that my cameraman had. I kept telling them that I was a journalist and that I would telephone the chief of police unless I was released, and eventually they did so.

Today's incident follows two previous incidents yesterday, in which my activities as a journalist were deliberately curtailed.

The first took place just as gunfire erupted at the Gaza City demonstration yesterday. We were filming police officers standing by their station, when several officers rushed over, fired shots in the air, snatched my camera and dragged me into the police station, where they threatened to smash my camera and hit me.

When I convinced them that I was a British journalist they let me go, but only after telling me to leave the area.

The second incident took place shortly afterwards when I went to the Shifa Hospital where those wounded in the fighting were being taken.

While we were filming, the police arrived at the hospital. They had orders to clear the hospital of all cameramen, and they took my camera. The officer who seized my equipment was very polite to me. He told me that I would be able to get the camera back only if I went to the police station in an hour and a half's time.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for the press to operate in the Gaza Strip. This is very much a reflection of the high level of tension that exists at the moment.

But by comparison with some of the treatment I've had in other parts of the world, this was relatively mild.

Of course, this intrepid reporter didn't bother to ask the obvious question: if a British journalist is treated this way, how is Hamas treating Arab journalists?

A correspondent for the Ramallah-based Palestine radio was attacked and beaten by the de facto government's police in Gaza City while he was covering the Fatah-organized rally in Gaza City marking the third anniversary of the death of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in which seven people were killed and scores injured, he told Ma'an via telephone.

Thirty-year-old Tamim Abu Mu'ammar told Ma'an that he was trying to send a report by telephone to the Palestine radio in Ramallah about the attacks on the rally when the de facto government's police beat him with clubs and rifle butts.

He said they searched his cell phone and ordered him to leave the scene, threatening to attack him if they saw him again.

Mu'ammar said his whole body was covered in bruises.

PCHR adds:

The police also chased rally participants and beat them with batons and sticks. In the meantime, several journalists were attacked, including:

- Khaled Jamal Bolbol, a photographer for Zoom Press. He was beaten and his camera was broken and confiscated.

- Mohammad Sawalha, a photographer for Abu Dhabi Satellite Station. He was detained and his camera tape was confiscated.

- Mowafaq Matar, a journalist for Al-Hayat Newspaper. He was detained and pictures were erased from his camera.

Palestine Press Agency reports that more journalists were arrested last night by Hamas.

Business as usual in Hamastan.

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The IDF helping the Palestinian Arab economy. Try to find that reported somewhere.

The US recently floated the idea of "benchmarks" where both Israel and the Palestinian Arabs would agree to some confidence-building measures. Two of the things Israel is supposed to do under this plan are dismantling checkpoints in the West Bank and allowing free passage between Gaza and the West Bank - both of which will certainly increase terror, according to the IDF and common sense.

But, Israel's critics would argue, what can you expect from the IDF - after all, the World Bank just released a report saying that Israel's policies are stopping any chance for an economy to be built in the territories. Israel seems hell-bent on a policy of strangling the Palestinian Arabs economically, right?

Too bad the press doesn't report on everything that Israel - including the IDF - is doing to help the PalArab economy:

Israel and the Palestinian Authority are working on plans for the establishment of five industrial parks close to the Green Line that are each meant to provide hundreds of Palestinians with jobs, Deputy Defense Minister Efraim Sneh confirmed yesterday.

Sneh told Haaretz that work on an industrial area has already begun in the area of Jenin and in Sha'ar Ephraim, close to Tul Karm. At the same time Israel is making plans to establish an industrial area in the Erez industrial zone, close the the Gaza Strip, that will be operated by Turkish contractors.

In addition, there are contacts with private Palestinian investors for the establishment of an industrial zone close to the Karni crossing in the Gaza Strip, and also with the government of Japan for the creation of a similar park in the vicinity of Jericho.

Sneh also expressed criticism at the fact that the World Bank made no mention in its latest report, of the Israeli efforts to contribute to the Palestinian economy. In its report, the World Bank criticized Israel for effectively stymieing Palestinian economic development through policies that limit the freedom of movement of the Palestinian population in the West Bank.

The industrial park venture was presented by the defense establishment last January during a meeting of Israeli, Palestinian and American representatives at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Richard Jones. The meeting dealt with the Agreement on Movement and Access of November, 2005.

The idea behind the venture is to establish work places in the territory of the Palestinian Authority in order to prevent excessive dependence by the Palestinian economy on jobs in Israel.

All the industrial parks will be established in Palestinian Authority territory, and Israel has committed to facilitating security and bureaucratic arrangements relevant to the projects.

The clearest indication that the "benchmark" plan is not only a non-starter but is in fact counterproductive can be seen by what has been happening recently at the Karni crossing:

While tensions rise in the Gaza Strip ahead of a possible IDF operation in response to daily Kassam rocket attacks, 16,600 jobs have been created there in the last three months, with unemployment down - over the past six months - by close to 7 percent.

According to Col. Nir Press, commander of the IDF Coordination and Liaison Administration, a drop in terror threats to the Karni Crossing has led to an increase in the transfer of raw materials into Gaza, creating new jobs.

Nevertheless, he stressed, unemployment in Gaza remained at just over 30%.

The increase in jobs in the last quarter followed a similar rise in the previous quarter, when 19,100 jobs were created, including 10,500 in agriculture.

This past quarter, only several hundred out of the 16,600 new workers found jobs in agriculture, with the majority finding work in transportation, communications and construction.

According to the Coordination and Liaison Administration, 43 million carnations were exported to Europe from the Gaza Strip this past season, up from 17 million in 2006. The Palestinian farmers told Press during the meeting that they made a profit of €4.5m.

Press told The Jerusalem Post the increases in jobs and flower exports were due to both improved coordination and a Palestinian effort to deter terrorists from attacking the Karni Crossing, the main artery for cargo in and out of the Gaza Strip.

In 2006, Karni was closed for nearly 100 days due to intelligence warnings of planned attacks. Last summer, a vast tunnel - intended to be filled with explosives - was discovered being dug under the crossing.

"Last year, when there were the security warnings Karni was closed... and a lot of flowers went down the drain," Press said. "Since September, however, Karni has been open daily except for some days when it was closed due to labor strikes on the Palestinian side."

Israel's desire for peace with the Arab world, including the Palestinian Arabs, is clear and consistent from before 1948. The only thing Israel desires more is her own security.

The story at Karni is crystal clear - when the terror threat subsides, Israel goes above and beyond to help the Palestinian Arabs. After seven years of the intifada, this is more than remarkable - and it is possibly reckless. This is the story that is invisible to the world media, one that every Israeli knows in his bones and one that the entire world suppresses, because it doesn't fit the standard story template of oppressive Israelis and Palestinian Arab victims.

Benchmarks are stupid and do the exact opposite of their intent. If you want peace, pressure the Palestinian Arabs to stop their daily terror attacks and Israel will, inevitably and inexorably, do everything else. Forcing Israel to reduce her defenses will increase terror. The only people who can stop it are the Palestinian Arabs themselves, and it won't be in "response" to any Israeli goodwill gesture - it will be when they grow up and act like responsible human beings.

Notwithstanding the good news at Karni and the industrial zones, this prospect is not likely in the foreseeable future.

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Freedom of the press, PalArab style (V): Fatah gets in the game

It is not only Hamas that is harassing and threatening journalists. Yes, even the "moderates" from Fatah and the PA seem to do the same thing:

Palestinian security services personnel on Wednesday dispersed a rally organised by Hamas women. They arrested five people, including journalists. The rally was being held to support the families of political prisoners from Nablus. The families took also part in a meeting before the rally.

Photojournalist Nasser Shtayya told Ma'an that members of the security forces attacked him, and his colleague Samir Khweira, while they were covering the rally, staged in front of the Nablus police department. Shtayya's camera was destroyed in the process.

Eyewitnesses stated that Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member Ahmad Al-Haj delivered a speech in which he heavily criticised the Palestinian Authority. This incited his audience, who demanded he apologise for his words.

In order to control the situation, Palestinian security services decided to intervene and disperse the angry crowd. Three Hamas loyalists, Mu'ath Sarkaji, Imad Tanbour and Rami Nasser who were near the rally, were arrested.

Members of the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Brigades from the nearby Balata refugee camp protected the PLC member, who is connected to Hamas.

Notice how the neat divisions between Fatah and Hamas that the MSM want everyone to believe breaks down with only a little research: The pro-Hamas PLC gets protected by the Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa. At a Hamas rally in the West Bank.

More context from PCHR, including that the speaker was also arrested. Which is directly related to Natan Sharansky's definition of a fear society vs. a free society:

If a person cannot walk into the middle of the town square and express his or her views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm, then that person is living in a fear society, not a free society. We cannot rest until every person living in a "fear society" has finally won their freedom.

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Freedom of the press, PalArab style (XI)

More details on this morning's festivities specifically concerning journalists who tried to cover the Fatah protest rallies:

Across Gaza, seven journalists covering the clashes were beaten and two of them were later detained, witnesses and reporters said. Two Associated Press staffers and another news photographer were also briefly detained by Hamas men.

In Jebaliya, the Hamas security men ordered journalists to stop filming and move away.

One security officer told reporters, "If a single shot is on TV, you know what will happen." He then drew his finger across his throat. At one point a Hamas security man tried to take a photographer's camera.

"I identified myself as a journalist and showed him my card, my journalist card, I told him, 'If you want the tape take the tape, I don't care,' but they kept on beating me and took the camera," Muhammad Abu Sido, a cameraman for a Palestinian news service, told AP Television News.

Similar incidents of harassment against journalists took place during previous weeks' Fatah protests.

Taher Nunu, a Hamas government spokesman in charge of coordinating media coverage, said the reports of harassment of journalists "were individual cases and won't be repeated," and that he was working to free the detained reporters.

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Freedom of the press, PalArab-style (X)

The series continues...

In this edition, it is Fatah who threatened journalists. From Ma'an (Arabic, autotranslated):

A journalist bloc said that three Palestinian journalists received death threats from groups Fatah movement, believing that these threats represent bankruptcy nationally and morally.

It accused the Bloc of them said, "Samih Asa'ad groups" to send each of these threats Chief Editor of "Palestine" local journalist Mustafa Sawaf, director of the Office of the Press home, and board member of the bloc, the Palestinian journalist Imad Abdel-Quds newspaper correspondent and local journalist Ahmad Muchehrawi.

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Latest peaceful PalArab poll

Highlights from the latest PSR public opinion poll in the territories show that both West Bank and Gaza Arabs think that their governments are corrupt, that there is only some or no press freedom, and an overwhelming majority say that they cannot criticize their respective governments without fear.

5)	Do you think that there is corruption in PA institutions under the control of President Abu Mazin?
	1) Yes	72.9%	73.1%	72.6%
	2) No	17.7%	15.8%	20.7%
	3) DK-NA	9.4%	11.1%	6.7%
		Total	West Bank	Gaza Strip
6)	Do you think that there is corruption in PA institutions under the control of the dismissed government in the Gaza Strip
	1) Yes	61.6%	57.3%	68.7%
	2) No	21.2%	19.3%	24.3%
	3) DK-NA	17.2%	23.5%	7.0%
		Total	West Bank	Gaza Strip
7)	In your view, is there a press freedom in the West Bank?
	1) Yes	23.0%	23.3%	22.5%
	2) To some extent	43.1%	40.0%	48.3%
	3) No	30.6%	33.0%	26.7%
	4) DK-NA	3.3%	3.7%	2.5%
		Total	West Bank	Gaza Strip
8)	In your view, is there a press freedom in the Gaza Strip?
	1) Yes	16.2%	16.5%	15.8%
	2) To some extent	33.8%	30.9%	38.6%
	3) No	40.4%	38.9%	43.0%
	4) DK-NA	9.5%	13.7%	2.6%
		Total	West Bank	Gaza Strip
9)	In your view, can people in the West Bank today criticize the authority without fear?
	1) Yes	30.2%	33.7%	24.5%
	2) No	66.0%	63.5%	70.0%
	3) DK-NA	3.8%	2.8%	5.4%
		Total	West Bank	Gaza Strip
10)	In your view, can people in the Gaza Strip today criticize the authority without fear?
	1) Yes	21.9%	25.2%	16.6%
	2) No	67.5%	60.5%	78.9%
	3) DK-NA	10.6%	14.3%	4.5%
		Total	West Bank	Gaza Strip

Other highlights:

72.6% said that the "right to return" (i.e., the destruction of Israel) is either the top or the second most important national goal.

In answer to the question "If you think there are other options to solve the financial crisis confronting the PA, which of the following you would choose?" 52$ say "Return to negotiations in order to obtain greater donor support" (i.e., get more free money from the West by pretending to want peace) and 27% said "Dissolve the PA."

Here's where years of propaganda pays off: 62% said Israel's long term plans are "Extending the borders of the state of Israel to cover all the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea and expelling its Arab citizens." 21% more said that Israel plans to annex the entire West Bank and keep the Arabs without any rights.

39% of all Palestinian Arabs, and 55% of Gazans, support a return to "armed resistance" (i.e., terrorism.)

47.5% of all Palestinian Arabs, and 62% of Gazans, support "armed attacks against Israeli civilians inside Israel."

(h.t Andreas)

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