Disturbing reports from Palestine: Israeli forces raid a Palestinian television studio in East Jerusalem and break up the airing of the “Good Morning Jerusalem” program because it is “inciting against” the Israeli occupation. They detain a guest and two employees; and meantime in the Friday Bil’in demonstration, soldiers beat the great photographer Hamde Abu Rahme, break his camera, and erase his images.
Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab reports on twitter: “Israeli spokeswoman tells BBC they raided TV studio in J’lm because of content.”
The full report from MADA, the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedom:
Ramallah-6/6/2014: Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedom, MADA, condemns the raiding of occupation forces the place where ”Sabah Al-Khair Ya Quds” Good Morning Jerusalem Program was being filmed, and they forced the staff to stop broadcasting. They arrested the program director of production, Nadir Paprs, the cameraman of Pal Media agency, Ashraf Al- Shweeki, and one of the guests, claiming that the program is not licensed, and it’s inciting against Israeli occupation.
The director of the program ,Mai Abu Asab, told MADA that Israeli occupation forces raided the headquarter of the studio , where the program was being filmed , in Jerusalem, which was broadcasted live, they told them to stop immediately filming, and they arrested her colleagues, Paprs and Al-Shweeki, who were released after a half and an hour from interrogation. Mai said: “All the accusations against the program, it is illegal, not licensed and inciting against Israeli occupation, are not true at all, since we have been broadcasting for five years through Pal Media company which is licensed in the city.” Mai said also that Israeli told her colleagues that a complaint will be submitted against the administration of the program.
Moreover, Israeli occupation forces also attacked the freelance journalist, Hamdi Abu Rahme, by severe beating. They erased all the photos taken by his camera, and its lens was broken while he was covering the events of the weekly march in Bi’lin village west of Ramallah. Mr. Abu Rahme told MADA an Israeli soldiers had approached near him, and they ordered him to stop filming, giving them his camera. Since he refused that, 6 Israeli soldiers attacked him, and he was beaten in a violent way. They aimed the gun towards his head and his camera was taken forcibly. Abu Rahme added: “They beat me violently, using thir hands and the bottoms of the guns. They also erased all the photos taken by the camera of my freelance colleague, Haitham Al-Khateeb.”
MADA confirms that this violation is a complement of Israeli occupation practices which aim to hide the truth on Israeli occupation practices against the occupied Jerusalem city and its citizens. MADA demands the international community to quickly put an end for Israeli violations on media freedom.
Below, Rahme explains his determination to become a journalist after his cousin was killed by Israeli forces in 2009. Why is it important? Without media, Bil’in would not be known by the world.
Thanks to Max Blumenthal.
Another in a long line of reasons to go to the Hague and get Israel,s criminal leaders dealt with.
Demand the international community? The international community as represented by governments have sold out the Palestinians. Until Palestinian leadership is replaced with a grassroots people to people movement, these calls will fall on deaf ears. I remember working in the family deli in San Francisco during the invasion of Lebanon when a drunk Israeli wandered in and he said he was there on a mission from the government to promote the Israeli message into the SF gay community…people to people
There is a collection on GiveForward to raise money to buy Hamde a new camera. https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/0qt4/replace-hamde-s-camera-broken-by-idf He deserves the best camera money can buy.
The raid on the TV studio came up at Friday’s U.S. State Dept daily briefing, in the context of much of the equipment having been supplied by U.S. aid.
Monstrous behavior. They really, really hate that the Palestinians have formed a unity government, eh?
Here’s some nice news:
“A leading British trade union is planning to send a delegation to Gaza to view the effects of the Israeli blockade on the territory, despite the opposition of the United Kingdom government and the opposition of some of its members.
The University and College Union voted at its congress last week to send the delegation “as soon as possible,” the Times Higher Education journal reported. The decision was labelled dangerous by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which advises Britons against traveling to the territory, and as an unjustifiable use of money by several of its members.
The UCU is the largest trade union for academics in the world, with some 108,000 members.
At least half of the delegation will be women and the trip will take place “in liaison with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign”. It is expected to report back to the union’s national executive committee to help inform union policy on Gaza.”
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.597409