PA TV: PMW exposure of TV program honoring terrorist prisoners leads to cut off of Ma'an TV in prisons
PA TV: Following PMW's exposure
of TV program honoring terrorist prisoners,
Israel cuts off Ma'an TV in prisons
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Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
In Israeli prisons, Palestinian terrorist prisoners are able to watch television. However, in June 2014, Israel stopped their access to official Palestinian Authority TV. This step prevented the prisoners from watching Giants of Endurance - a PA TV program which honors the prisoners themselves. However, a few months ago, as a maneuver to enable the prisoners to watch this program anyway, PA TV started broadcasting it on the independent Palestinian channel Ma'an TV as well - a channel to which prisoners still had access.
The following is the transcript of the PA TV News report:
Official PA TV newsreader: "Director of the [PLO] Commission of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake said that the occupation authorities have decided to stop [broadcasts of] Ma'an TV within the prisons. He explained that the occupation justified this decision, claiming the channel engages in incitement (Note: At this point PA TV started showing PMW's video of PA TV- Ma'an). Chairman of the Prisoners' Club Qadura Fares said that stopping the channel's broadcasts arises from opposition to the continued broadcasts of the program for prisoners presented by our colleague Samer Taym on PA TV... Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation condemned this step that comes after PA TV broadcasts were stopped within the prisons, and said that it will continue to transmit the prisoners' message in every way."
[Official PA TV News, July 29, 2016]
Meanwhile, Fatah condemned Israel's preventing prisoners from watching PA TV and Ma'an:
"The Fatah Movement said that the closure of PA TV and Ma'an TV satellite channels in the Israeli prisons and the prohibiting our brave prisoners from watching them constitute a barbaric act that contradicts the most basic rights of our brave prisoners behind the occupation's [prison] bars. Fatah Spokesman Osama Al-Qawasmi said: 'This step is a clear expression of the moral crisis being experienced by the occupation government and additional proof of the professionalism and nationalism of these [TV] channels, who have proven the level of their impact on the public and on the public opinion of the Palestinian and international community...'
He added that... the closure of the PA TV and Ma'an TV satellite channels is an unethical act and an attempt to limit our brave prisoners, to break their will, and to dissuade them from their just demands."
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 2, 2016]
Aside from TV privileges, Palestinian Media Watch reported in 2013 that a released Palestinian terrorist prisoner himself described the daily routine in Israeli prison as quite pleasant:"In the morning we'd exercise from 7:00 until 8:00... Then the guys would get together in the prison yard and we'd chat, talk, eat, drink, joke and play, etc., throughout the day... Noon roll-call is from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Roll-call time is time for resting in the rooms... Nap time, reading time, study time... At 1:30 or 12:30 p.m. they'd take us out to the yard again. We'd spend [time] with the guys walking, laughing, playing, joking, etc., until dark."
[Official PA TV, May 4, 2013]