Israeli forces crack down on Palestinian press

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Israeli forces crack down on Palestinian press | Mondoweiss

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.