Ramallah – March 15, 2025 – The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) strongly condemns the joint U.S.-European decision to block Al-Aqsa TV Channel and prevent its broadcast across all satellites starting from the afternoon of Wednesday, March 14. MADA considers this action a serious and blatant violation of media freedoms and an outright breach of the right to freedom of expression. It also constitutes an assault on the public’s right to access information from diverse sources.
According to WISAM AFIFEH, the Executive Director of Al-Aqsa TV, the TV’s management was taken by surprise by the U.S.-European decision, which was communicated to them through an intermediary company that provides services to the TV. The company sent an email to the TV’s administration detailing the decision, which mandates the blocking of the channel, which is broadcast via the French satellite "Eutelsat", and prohibits any other satellite from hosting the channel. Additionally, any future hosting of the channel will incur a substantial financial penalty. The French satellite company received this decision from the European Union following a complaint filed by the Israeli occupying state. The United States and the European Union further threatened satellite operators with charges of "sponsoring terrorism" if they continued to host Al-Aqsa Channel.
MADA views this decision as a dangerous escalation in the targeting of Palestinian media, aligning with the desires of the Israeli occupation to silence voices that convey the truth and document the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially amidst the ongoing aggression against the West Bank and Gaza Strip. MADA believes that silencing voices and blocking media channels will not alter the reality of the crimes and violations but will only strengthen the determination of Palestinian journalists and media outlets to continue their professional and humanitarian mission.
MADA condemns this unjust decision against Palestinian media, given its far-reaching consequences for the media in Palestine. MADA calls on the international community and human rights organizations concerned with media freedoms and freedom of expression to take immediate action to stop these repressive practices and to pressure the responsible authorities to reverse this decision. MADA reaffirms its full support for all Palestinian media institutions in confronting these challenges, and stresses the importance of strengthening media freedom as a fundamental right that cannot be compromised.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
