MADA: Palestinian Journalists are subjected to more attacks during last
June

The Israeli Occupation forces have continued attacks on Journalists in the Palestinian occupied territories (oPt) during last June. The Journalists faced serious violations using one of them as human shield, as happened with Palestine TV cameraman Fadi Al Jayousi, while he was covering the weekly march of Bil’in. the Journalist were also beated and prevented from filming , which happened to Pal Media cameraman Yousef Shaheen, The European Agency photographer Abdel-Hafiz Hashlmoun, Associated Press photographer Nasser Al-Shuokhi, APA agency photographer Mamoun Wazwaz, AFP photographer Mousa AlSha’er, ABA photographer Najeh Hashlamoun, while they were covering peaceful march in Beit Jala near Bethlehem city. Also, in June Associated Press photographer Arif Toufaha and WAFA Agency photographer Ayman Nubani were attacked by Israeli settlers in the town of Asira near Nablus city.

The Journalists also faced violations against them by the Palestinian side , Palestinian Network for Press and Media director and Milad agency correspondent Nasser Abu Alfol, was summoned for investigation by the internal security services in the dismissed government in Gaza .also Quds  TV programs coordinator Nawaf AlAmer, was summoned by the Palestinian Intelligence service in the city of Nablus in the West Bank, Quds TV cameraman Ahmad Albikawi and PalMedia cameraman Ahmad Gilani were prevented from filming by the Palestinian police members in Jenin city north of West Bank .Quds TV correspondent Musa’ab Alkhatib (ALKaseeb) and PalMedia cameraman Hazem AlBaleedi were detained by the Palestinian Preventive Security Service.

MADA expresses its concern about the Israeli campaign of incitement against Aljazeera TV, and the calls to close its office in Jerusalem, which puts the lives of workers at risk, as happened with Aljazeera crew during their stay at the port of Ashdod while covering the events of the fleet of freedom escorting to the Israeli port of Ashdod, on Monday 31May2010. Where the Israeli extremists attacked Aljazeera crew without the interfering of the Israeli police, due to this they left the area fearing for their lives.

MADA also condemns the decision of the French broadcast council to stop Aqsa TV broadcasting satellite, and demands the French council to reverse its decision.

MADA center condemns all attacks against the Palestinian Journalists, which represent flagrant violations of freedom of expression which guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Palestinian Basic Law, and calls for ending them. MADA also highlights the need of international intervention to stop the suffering of Journalists from direct targeting by the Israeli Occupation forces while covering the weekly peaceful marches.

Details of Violations:

(2 June) Associated Press photographer Arif Toufaha and WAFA News agency Ayman Nubani were attacked by the Israeli settlers, on Wednesday 2 June 2010, in the town of Asira near Nablus city. According to Toufaha, he went with his colleague Nubani to Asira to film clashes between the settlers and residents, where the settlers burned the crops that belong to the residents of the town. While they were filming, they were attacked by the settlers, and then the Israeli army intervened. (4 June) Palestine TV cameraman Fadi AlJayousi was attacked and used as human shields by the Israeli Occupation forces on Friday 4 June 2010, in Bil’in Village west Ramallah city. Aljayousy added that he went to cover Bil’in weekly march ,and while he was standing with a group of Journalists ,they were attacked by the Israeli forces whom tried to arrest them thus managed to escape but he fell to the ground . Furthermore, the Occupation forces managed to use him as human shields between them and the demonstrators who were throwing stones at soldiers. AlJayousy added:"I was bruised all over my body and I was transfer to the Sheikh Zayed hospital in Ramallah, in addition to that my camera was broken". (9 June) Quds TV cameraman Ahmad AlBikawi and PalMedia Cameraman Ahmad AlKilani were prevented from filming by the Palestinian Police in Jenin city. On Wednesday 9 June 2010, according to AlBikawi that he was preparing
with his colleague a report about the local government elections in Jenin, during that the Palestinian police members also prevented him from filming ,and after a long arguments that lasted an hour and a half he was told that filming was forbidden without permission from the governor of Jenin, AlBikawi went to the governor to discuss the reasons for obtaining permission for filming ,especially that he is a known Journalists and had made many of interviews with them and there is no such law requires Journalists to take permission before filming. But the Governor told him that these are security concerns for protecting the country and citizens, and insisted to contact him before filming. AlBikawi added:" After an hour of argument the meeting ended with no results, where we both stucked to his point of view. 

(14 June) Quds TV correspondent Mus’ab Alkhatib “Alkhseeb" and Pal Media cameraman Hazem Al-Baledi, detained by the Palestinian Preventive Security Services, on Monday 14 June2010 , in Tulkarm city in West Bank. Alkhatib said that he went with Al-Baledi to interview the Palestinian Legislative Council member from Hamas bloc Fathi Qraawi about Palestinian reconciliation between Fateh and Hamas, and when they left his office, members belonging to the “PSS" forced them to go to their headquarters in Tulkarem. Alkhatib added: "When we went there, they interrogated us about the content of the interview, and they unloaded the entire interview, and examined all the papers that we had, and then they released us."

 (20 June) Pal Media cameraman Yousef Shaheen, ABA photographer Najeh Hashlamoun, European Agency (EPA) photographer Abdel-Hafiz Hashlamoun, APA photographer Mamoun Wazwaz, AP photographer Nasser Al-Shuokhi, France press photographer Mousa Al-Shaér, were attacked by the Israeli Occupation forces , when they were covering a weekly march against the Separation Wall on 20 June 2010 in Beit Jala town in the West Bank. Shaheen said that he was standing with a group of journalists to cover the weekly march events in Biet Jala, and during their coverage, a group of Israeli soldier approached, cursed, and beat them with sticks on their legs, causing him and some of his colleagues’ bruises in their legs. Al-Shuokhi said: “The Israeli soldiers have used a new method to attack us today, where they tried to stop us from filming by beating us with sticks". “The journalists were directly targeted, where the soldiers left the demonstrators and began to curse and beat us brutally with sticks, causing physical harm to most of journalists who were in the place" Abdel-Hafiz Hashlamoun comment. 

(22 June) Quds TV programs coordinator Nawaf AlAmer was called for investigation on Monday 22 June 2010, by the by the Palestinian Intelligence service in the city of Nablus in the West Bank. AlAmer wife
said that a force from Palestinian Intelligence service came to their house in Kufur Kalel village in Nablus yesterday midnight, and gave her husband an Immediate call to the intelligence headquarters in Nablus, and when he went there, he was tied and detained, then he was released at 3:00 am and they asked him to come back in the same day at morning. AlAmer said that he was detained from 8:00 Am to 2:00 PM, and then he was released but had to come back the next day for 6 days day after day except on Friday. AlAmer added:" I was detained and left alone without food , and they didn’t investigate with me until the last day , where he was interrogated about the Quds TV, and the nature of work in it. "

(22 June) Palestinian Network for Press and Media director and Milad agency correspondent, Naser Abu Alfoul was called for investigation by the by the internal security services in the dismissed government in Gaza. Abu Alfoul said that he had been summoned to the internal security headquarters in Abu Khadra area in Gaza on Thursday 17 June 2010, and when he went there, they postponed the investigation to Tuesday 22 June 2010. Where he was detained from 8:00 am until 1:00 pm. Abu Alfoul Added: “I have been interrogated about my work, and about the news and reports I had wrote, they also confiscated my two computers, my identity and press cards. They released me after signing a pledge to come back on upcoming Thursday 24 June 2010.and when I went there, I was questioned in a provocative way and
this continue until 3:00 PM,and they blamed me to disseminate their call for investigation in the institutions that defend freedom of expression, and then I was released to come back on Wednesday ,30 June 2010." And when he went back on Wednesday he was detained from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM without investigation, but they asked him to return back the next day".

------------------------------------
Contact: 
Riham Abu Aita
Public Relation Officer
Ramallah
info@madacenter.org
madapalestine@yahoo.com
www.madacenter.org
00970 2 2976519