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by Khaled Abu Toameh • May 15,
2019 at 5:00 am
- As far as many
Palestinians are concerned, there is no difference between
Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority and Hamas when it comes
to their people being able to tell the truth as they see it.
- The two rival
parties may disagree on many matters, but they share
considerable common ground in their efforts to silence their
critics and prevent the emergence of new voices seeking a
better life for the Palestinians.
- While this muzzling
of Palestinian mouths is perfectly visible to the naked eye,
the jaundiced eye of the international community and media
sees flaws only in Israel.
The
Palestinian Authority and Hamas may disagree on many matters, but
they share considerable common ground in their efforts to silence
their critics and prevent the emergence of new voices seeking a
better life for the Palestinians. (Image source: iStock)
The first promise the new Palestinian Authority (PA)
government made after it was sworn in last month was that it would
honor public freedoms, particularly freedom of the media and
freedom of expression.
Ibrahim Milhem, the new spokesman for the PA government,
headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, said in a radio
interview that no Palestinian journalist would be arrested for
expressing his or her views. Milhem promised that his government
would allow the press to play its role as a watchdog over the performance
of the ministers and their ministries.
Palestinian journalists living and working in
PA-controlled territories in the West Bank welcomed Milhem's
statement and expressed hope that it would mark the beginning of a
new era between the media and the government.
For the Palestinian journalists, the promise
indicated a refreshing change of direction, particularly after
years of PA crackdowns on freedom of the media in the West Bank.
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