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Red Cross Report Says Israel Disregards Humanitarian Law, May 19th, 2007

----- Original Message -----

Israel Onslaught against Palestinian Freedom of Press Attempt to 
"Silence Palestinian Voices"

Palestinian Ministry of Information

Ramallah, 21-05-07: The Israeli army attacked 5 TV and 2 radio 
stations in Nablus, in the West Bank in the early hours of this 
morning. At 2am, soldiers invaded the premises of the 7 private media 
outlets and seized computers, broadcasting equipment, archives and 
files. The TV stations Afaq, Nablus, Gamma, Assia and Sana, as well as 
2 radio stations, are now effectively shut down.

According to Palestinian law, media outlets must be licensed by the 
Ministry of Information and operate under its laws and regulations. 
The Minister of Information, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, confirmed that 
these 5 TV stations and 2 radio stations were fully licensed, and were 
law-abiding.  He strongly condemned these Israeli attacks aimed at 
?silencing Palestinian voices on the conflict and destroying 
Palestinian freedom of the press?.

Freedom of the press is a fundamental human right and an essential 
component of democracy. By forcibly shutting down private media 
outlets over which it has no authority, Israel has yet again shown 
that it does not believe in democracy and actively opposes freedom of 
the press.

This is just one more aspect of a wider and long-term strategy by the 
Israeli government to impose its own narrative as the only legitimate 
representation of the conflict, to cover up its violations of 
international law and mislead world opinion with claims of ?security 
reasons?. These direct attacks against the Palestinian media and 
journalists are part of the war of information Israel is waging 
against Palestinian democracy.

----------

Kirsten Sutherland
Media & Advocacy Officer
Palestinian National Initiative

  

 
Palestinian Minister of Information Beaten By Israeli Soldiers

Ramallah, 20-05-07, 15:40: Palestinian Minister of Information, Dr. 
Mustafa Barghouthi, was assaulted by Israeli soldiers today during a 
peaceful protest against the confiscation Palestinian lands by the 
Israeli military near the village of Artas in the Bethlehem District.

Dr. Barghouthi, a veteran leader of the non-violence movement in 
Palestine, had been holding a press conference at the demonstration, 
which was organised to peacefully protest the destruction of an 
apricot and date orchard belonging to the Abu Swai family.

Once the conference was over and once most of the press had left, 
approximately 50 Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene and began 
beating protesters with batons and with their fists.  Dr. Barghouthi 
was beaten over the back with a baton and sustained moderate injuries.

More details, and video footage of the beating are to follow.

According to the International Solidarity Movement, approximately 
4,000 dunums of land belonging to the villager of Artas is being 
confiscated by the Israeli military in order to construct another 
segment of the Apartheid Wall and to allow for the expansion of the 
nearby Efrata settlement.  Sewage pipes will be laid under the land 
belonging to the Abu Swai family which will pump the Efrata settlers' 
sewage onto other fields of lettuce and parsley belonging to villagers 
of Artas some 150 metres away.

Kirsten Sutherland
Media & Advocacy Officer
Tel: 0546-514675