Widespread condemnation follows PA's closing of Al-Jazeera's office in West Bank

Secretary of the Democratic Press Gathering, Omar Nazzal, called on the Palestinian government to retract the decision as it violates Palestinian Basic Law.

The New Arab Staff
03 January, 2025


Pictures of slain Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh are hung across the facade of the building housing the Doha-based Al-Jazeera TV channel in the occupied-West Bank city of Ramallah on 2 January 2025. [Getty]



Palestinians circulated widely on social media a picture of the Palestinian security services handing over the decision by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to close the offices of Al-Jazeera News Channel in the occupied West Bank on the first day of the New Year, and another picture of the Israeli army handing over a similar decision to its office director last September.

These pictures expressed the state of popular discontent over the decision, which came in light of the security campaign launched by the PA on the Jenin camp under the pretext of fighting those it described as "outlaws". Most Palestinians see the PA's security operation as an attack on fighters resisting the Israeli occupation.

The closure of the Al-Jazeera office came after a fierce smear campaign launched by the Palestinian security services and their supporters against the channel and its correspondents.

As the security campaign in Jenin escalates, causing deaths and injuries among residents and members of the security services, human rights activists believe that the closure of Al-Jazeera's offices comes as an attempt to suppress any other opinion that conveys the Palestinians' rejection of the campaign.

The decision also comes at a very sensitive time due to the controversy over the security campaign in Jenin, the Palestinian Authority's suppression of political and human rights activists, and the issuance of strict decisions to suppress freedom of opinion in the occupied West Bank.

'Muzzling voices'

The prominent political activist in the West Bank, Omar Assaf, told The New Arab that closing Al-Jazeera's office and preventing its broadcast is "a grave mistake" in principle and constitutes "an unacceptable precedent" in the Palestinian situation, especially in light of the circumstances in which the decision came.

He considered that the decision came in response to pressure from within the Fatah movement, which controls the PA, through statements issued before the official decision banning the channel's work in the Palestinian territories, which means that there are those who want to apply the law according to their whims.

"The decision violates the third clause of Article 27 of the media law, which emphasizes freedom of the press, and any action must be based on a judicial decision. The issued decision, which claimed that there was a violation of the principles of work, should be scrutinized without providing a clear explanation for this disruption," he added.

What is unfortunate is that this decision coincided with the period’s expiration of the channel’s ban and the closure of its office by the Israeli authorities a few days ago, Assaf noted.

"It represents a muzzling of voices, an invasion by the security services, and an attack on the fourth estate, in addition to the harm that the legislative and judicial authorities were subjected to at the hands of the executive authority. Here I see that the freedom of media work should be protected and standards should be unified in dealing with the media in all similar cases," hr concluded.
Impact on press freedom

A widespread condemnation from human rights centres and others concerned with press freedom for this decision, which several statements warned would be a prelude to the destruction of press freedom in the occupied West Bank.

Secretary of the Democratic Press Gathering, Omar Nazzal, called on the Palestinian government to retract the decision as it is a violation of the Palestinian Basic Law.

He remarked to TNA that freedom of media work is a must without restrictions or interference, even if any party has the right to criticise Al-Jazeera's editorial policy. "In the end, the judge is the public who decides whether to follow it or not, but no one has the right to prevent the work of any media outlet," he said.

"The decision was also related to journalists working on Al-Jazeera, and it is unacceptable because the right of any journalist to work with any media outlet he wants should not be infringed at all, and this must be consistent with the need for everyone to adhere to the ethics of the journalistic profession," he added.

Most Palestinian on the ground believe that the decision will affect the coverage of their suffering to the world, especially since Israeli settlers, backed by the Israeli military, were waging an unprecedented war on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Head of the Youth Against Settlement Gathering, Issa Amr, said that closing Al-Jazeera and restricting the freedoms of its correspondents will greatly affect its coverage of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and the war waged by settlers and Israel on the occupied West Bank.

He considered that the closure came at a very critical period, with Israel implementing the policy of practically annexing the occupied West Bank during the year 2025, while Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian villages, cities and towns will increase greatly.

"There is an existential threat even to the PA posed by Israel, and Al-Jazeera will be one of the most important satellite channels in the world that will shed light on these violations," he said.

"I see that the decision is stupid, superficial and serves the occupation and some influential people in the PA who prove daily that they are failures without wisdom or strategy," Amr added.