Official PA media is a propaganda machine
Official PA media is a propaganda machine
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By Itamar Marcus
Official PA media is a propaganda machine in the "struggle" against the State of Israel. This can be concluded from statements made by the heads of official PA media. What this means in practice is that the role of PA media is not to objectively "report," but literally to "create" the story.Palestinian Media Watch has asserted for years that the official PA media is completely controlled by the leadership. As such, all the official PA media lies and libels, glorification of terror and terrorists, and presentation of a world in which Israel does not exist and has been replaced by "Palestine" - all this must be recognized as PA leadership messages.
Two recent statements on official PA TV about its own role confirm PMW's assertions. PA TV hosted the Programs Division Director of official PA TV, Nizar Al-Ghoul, who explained that PA TV was not merely for entertainment but was a central part of the "struggle". He pointed out that Ahmad Assaf, the head of all official PA media and an Abbas appointee, "would follow everything small and large, direct every assignment, and follow the details. He surprises you when he calls you to ask about a tiny detail in some program."
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In a different interview the director general of PA TV Khaled Sukkar explained that PA TV "is not a neutral media outlet; it is a media outlet with a national cause." And therefore, he explained, the role of PA media "is not to report... [it] is to create the news item and so that others convey that news item, because you have the ability to convey the message. In the end it is your narrative."
Accordingly, the many recurring PA media libels and lies whose purpose is to promote hatred of Jews and Israel, as well as the PA media's incessant support for violence, terror, and glorification of the murderers of Israelis, must be understood as direct messaging from the PA leadership. Palestinian official media's consistent use of a map that presents a "Palestine" that replaces all of Israel, and PA TV's teaching children that Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Haifa and all of Israel are "occupied" territory that will eventually be part of "Palestine," must likewise be recognized as PA leadership messaging to its people.
The following are longer excerpts from the two interviews mentioned above:
Official PA TV Programs Division Director Nizar Al-Ghoul:
"PA TV is not television just for entertainment and passing time. We are interested in the news item, interested in
mobilizing for the struggle, interested in the content of the message that we present.
PA TV is a central part of the full and comprehensive struggle...
The leadership is working with its army to achieve victory, and this is what has happened in the PA TV - [General Supervisor, PA Official Media] Minister Ahmad Assaf would follow everything small and large, direct every assignment, and follow the details. He surprises you when he calls you to ask about a tiny detail in some program."
[Official PA TV, Palestine This Morning, Aug. 5, 2018]
Director-General of official PA TV Khaled Sukkar:Official PA TV host:
"How significant is conveying the Palestinian national scene and picture to the world?"
PA TV Director-General Khaled Sukkar:
"That is the required role of the institution of [PA] media.
Its role is not to report, because it is not a neutral media outlet;
it is a media outlet with a national cause, a great cause, [as] there are constant confrontations with the occupation. Therefore that is the required role.
Your professional and national role is to create the news item and so that others convey that news item, because you have the ability to convey the message. In the end it is your narrative."
[Official PA TV News, July 23, 2018]
Official PA media includes PA TV and radio, news agency WAFA, and the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida:"Yesterday [Sept. 4, 2017] at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, President Mahmoud Abbas hosted a delegation from the official Palestinian media, which included media members from the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation [PBC], the Palestinian news and information agency WAFA, and the daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, led by Supervisor of the Official Media Ahmad Assaf. The delegation... expressed its appreciation for the unending support from His Honor [Abbas] for the official media."
[Official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 5, 2017]