Al Jazeera Criticizes Palestinian Authority's Decision to Suspend West Bank

Photo: AFP 

Al Jazeera has violently the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) decision to close its office in the occupied West Bank. The network described this move as "in line with the [Israeli] occupation’s actions against its staff." Al Jazeera's statement, released on Thursday, strongly disapproval the PA’s decision to freeze its work and coverage in the West Bank. The network believes this decision is an attempt to stop the channel from reporting on the growing unrest in the occupied areas.

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Al Jazeera said that the PA’s move is similar to actions taken by the Israeli government, which had already closed Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah. The network urged the PA to immediately reverse its decision and allow its journalists to work freely in the West Bank without facing any threats or intimidation. Despite this challenge, Al Jazeera vowed to continue providing professional  reporting of the events in the region.

The decision to suspend Al Jazeera’s work in the West Bank was made on Wednesday after the PA accused the network of broadcasting “inciting material.” According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, a committee formed by several ministries, including culture, interior, and communications, said that the broadcaster was spreading reports that could “deceive” the public and stir conflict. This suspension came after Fatah, the Palestinian political faction that controls the PA, banned Al Jazeera from reporting in the Jenin area, located in the northern part of the West Bank. Fatah claimed that the network’s coverage of clashes between Palestinian security forces and armed Palestinian groups in Jenin was doubtful.

On December 24, Fatah accused Al Jazeera of causing division within the Palestinian community and even encouraged people not to work with the network. In response, Al Jazeera criticized Fatah for launching an “incitement campaign” against the network for its coverage of these clashes.

Al Jazeera, in its statement, argued that preventing its journalists from doing their work is an effort to hide the truth, especially about what is happening in Jenin and its refugee camps. According to Al Jazeera’s reporter, Hamdah Salhut, Palestinian security forces’ operations in Jenin have not been welcomed by many in the West Bank. The PA has been carrying out its raids in Jenin, separate from those conducted by Israeli forces, and these raids have led to the deaths of several Palestinians in the area over the past month.

Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, called the PA’s decision to suspend Al Jazeera a "big mistake" and urged the PA to reverse it quickly. He explained that if the PA had a problem with Al Jazeera, it should have discussed it openly. He also Point up that Al Jazeera has been highlighting the struggles of the Palestinian people and promoting their cause. Barghouti stressed that this decision was not only about the network but also about freedom of the press.

Earlier, in September, Israeli forces had issued a military order to shut down Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah, the West Bank city where the PA is based, after raiding it. At the same time, the PA, which equal its security efforts with Israel, has been increasing its crackdown in Jenin. This area is a stronghold for Palestinian armed groups that oppose Israel’s occupation. Since the start of the PA’s “Operation Protect the Homeland,” several civilians, PA soldiers, and fighters from Palestinian armed groups have been killed in the fighting. Among the casualties was Yazid Ja’ayseh, the commander of the Jenin Brigades.

This violence has led to growing criticism of the PA. The Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella group for Palestinian armed factions, accused the PA of working in alignment with the "Zionist agenda."