Palestinian media organizations condemn new PA law that restricts freedom of speech
Headline: "The [Palestinian] Supreme Council for Media’s law ignites a conflict between the [Palestinian] Journalists' Syndicate and the PA"
"The ratification of the Palestinian Supreme Council for Media’s law by the Palestinian government and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has opened the door to an argument between the [Palestinian] Journalists’ Syndicate and a number of the media institutions dealing with the journalists’ issues concerning the law and their opposition to the council, because of its being officially subject to the PA and presidential institutions.
(The law was ratified by the PA government on Dec. 15, 2015 and presented by PA Chairman Abbas on Dec. 29, 2015 –Ed.)
Omar Nazzal, a member of the council of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, said that his union supports the idea of the establishment of a supreme council for media in the Palestinian areas, as in Arab countries such as Morocco and Tunisia.
Nazzal noted to Donia Al-Watan that the idea of a supreme council for media depends on the liberation of the media outlets from the hold and rule of the [PA] government, toward the establishment of an independent civilian council comprised of experts and institutions from the civilian sector, and that this is what appeared in the draft [of the law] that was completed in 2013 together with representatives of the syndicate. He emphasized that the Palestinian government made changes in the topic of the law that was ratified without involving the syndicate or any of the media institutions. These changes fundamentally destroyed the idea, because the [media] council was turned into a government council (i.e., not an independent council), simultaneously subject to government and presidential authority, and that this is a bad wording by the [PA] Ministry of Communications, and that is what the Journalists’ Syndicate opposes.
He noted that the law includes many clauses and topics that contradict the Palestinian constitution, and that the law has established a supreme council for media, but did not abolish the [PA] Ministry of Communications, so that at the moment there are two sources of authority: the ministry and the council.
He added: 'This law grants the supreme council the authority to issue permits to media outlets, and this is unacceptable, as the Palestinian constitution guarantees that all media outlets can work without requiring permits, needing only to register and give notice. Likewise, the law granted the council the authority to cancel permits of media outlets, and we oppose a situation in which the council can cancel the permit of any existing media outlet.'
Nazzal noted that the law includes many ambiguous expressions, such as when it discusses national interest, civilian and popular unity and peace, [all of] which can be interpreted in different ways, and this threatens the media outlets that are unaccepted and disliked (i.e., by the PA government) and may cost them their permits.
He continued: 'The law talks about [the fact] that the media outlets are subject to serving the goals of the Palestinian people and the general goals of the PA. This is essentially unpaid work for the PA, and means that these outlets are a tool in the hands of the PA, which it can operate as it wishes.'"
"The ratification of the Palestinian Supreme Council for Media’s law by the Palestinian government and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has opened the door to an argument between the [Palestinian] Journalists’ Syndicate and a number of the media institutions dealing with the journalists’ issues concerning the law and their opposition to the council, because of its being officially subject to the PA and presidential institutions.
(The law was ratified by the PA government on Dec. 15, 2015 and presented by PA Chairman Abbas on Dec. 29, 2015 –Ed.)
Omar Nazzal, a member of the council of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, said that his union supports the idea of the establishment of a supreme council for media in the Palestinian areas, as in Arab countries such as Morocco and Tunisia.
Nazzal noted to Donia Al-Watan that the idea of a supreme council for media depends on the liberation of the media outlets from the hold and rule of the [PA] government, toward the establishment of an independent civilian council comprised of experts and institutions from the civilian sector, and that this is what appeared in the draft [of the law] that was completed in 2013 together with representatives of the syndicate. He emphasized that the Palestinian government made changes in the topic of the law that was ratified without involving the syndicate or any of the media institutions. These changes fundamentally destroyed the idea, because the [media] council was turned into a government council (i.e., not an independent council), simultaneously subject to government and presidential authority, and that this is a bad wording by the [PA] Ministry of Communications, and that is what the Journalists’ Syndicate opposes.
He noted that the law includes many clauses and topics that contradict the Palestinian constitution, and that the law has established a supreme council for media, but did not abolish the [PA] Ministry of Communications, so that at the moment there are two sources of authority: the ministry and the council.
He added: 'This law grants the supreme council the authority to issue permits to media outlets, and this is unacceptable, as the Palestinian constitution guarantees that all media outlets can work without requiring permits, needing only to register and give notice. Likewise, the law granted the council the authority to cancel permits of media outlets, and we oppose a situation in which the council can cancel the permit of any existing media outlet.'
Nazzal noted that the law includes many ambiguous expressions, such as when it discusses national interest, civilian and popular unity and peace, [all of] which can be interpreted in different ways, and this threatens the media outlets that are unaccepted and disliked (i.e., by the PA government) and may cost them their permits.
He continued: 'The law talks about [the fact] that the media outlets are subject to serving the goals of the Palestinian people and the general goals of the PA. This is essentially unpaid work for the PA, and means that these outlets are a tool in the hands of the PA, which it can operate as it wishes.'"