Israeli media this week reported that 50 Palestinian journalists have urged the United Nations to protect them from Palestinian Authority. It comes after a series of demonstrations that have descended into clashes with police following the death of political activist Nizar Banat, who was severely beaten during a raid on his house by security forces loyal to PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
Banat had been a longtime outspoken critic of Abbas’ government.
Yet, despite the fact that several journalists have been injured as a result of the PA’s crackdown, international news organizations have for the most part ignored the story. This, in stark contrast to the widespread coverage dedicated to a subsequently discredited incident regarding an Al Jazeera reporter who claimed she was harassed and arrested “for no apparent reason” in Jerusalem.
Not to mention the recent spurious ‘apartheid’ allegations against the Middle East’s only democracy — Israel — that instantly made headlines around the world (see here, here, and here).
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PA: Making a Mockery of Press Freedom
On June 27, the Palestinian Journalists Union called for the PA police chief’s dismissal because he “fail[ed] to protect reporters who have been assaulted and threatened” in broad daylight by plainclothes police officers. Under extreme pressure, PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh paid lip service by calling for “respect for press freedom” and urging “everyone to exercise a higher sense of responsibility.”
Shtayyeh’s statements are cynical at best. Indeed, the 2020 World Press Freedom Index ranked the West Bank and Gaza Strip 132 out of 180 territories surveyed, in line with countries like Venezuela and Russia.
Related Reading: Free Press? PA Condemns AFP for Firing Antisemitic ‘Journalist’ Who Doubled As Fatah Politician
Yet the PA’s increasing authoritarianism, in particular as it relates to the targeting of journalists, has, perhaps not surprisingly, not piqued the interest of news outlets. Research conducted by HonestReporting shows that between June 24 and July 1, there were only 109 references in articles and television segments to Ramallah’s trampling on press freedoms. Meanwhile, between June 5, when Al Jazeera reporter Givara Budeiri claimed that she was assaulted, and June 12, a whopping 76,500 references to the episode appeared in media outlets.
Another statistic worth considering: During the 24-hour period between April 27, when Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report accusing Israel of being an ‘apartheid’ state, and April 28, there were over 1,000 articles and television segments that parroted the slander. By comparison, as of publication of this piece the Palestinian journalists’ request for UN help has garnered a mere 142 mentions.
Related Reading: Media Silent on Abbas Beginning 17th Year of Four-year Term
Abbas’ Iron Grip on Palestinian Media: Nothing New Under the Ramallah Sun
Nor is this the first time that media have turned a blind eye to Abbas’ clampdown on freedom of expression. For years, Abbas has used the PA’s controversial Electronic Crimes Law to quash and punish dissent on social media as well as shut down websites critical of his policies.
But the situation appears to be growing increasingly dire as an unpopular Abbas attempts to maintain power. Palestinian journalists and activists in the West Bank are being subjected “to arbitrary arrests, violent interrogations, confiscation of equipment, physical assaults and bans on reporting.” Rights organizations have even accused the PA of torturing journalists.
Palestinian Authority Poisoning the Well of Information: Why It Matters
The same media outlets that are now ignoring the plight of their colleagues in the West Bank are seemingly all-too-happy to depend on them when it comes to producing slanted articles about alleged Israeli misdeeds. In doing so, they are not only withholding from the public critical information about the conditions in the West Bank, but are also sending a tacit message that the abuse of reporters is permissible in certain cases.
It is not.
Featured Image: ABBAS MOMANI via getty.
