MADA condemns the occupation authorities closure of media center in Jerusalem, and demands the dismissed government to backtrack on its decision to collects high fees for licensing of local radios

The Israeli occupation authorities closed the Palestinian Media Center yesterday (10 May), which was established in the Alambsador Hotel in Jerusalem city, to cover the

Pope Benedict XVI visit of the Palestinian territories.

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) strongly condemns this new attack on the freedom of the press, which is a crude violation of freedom of expression, and calls upon the international community to put pressure on the Israel government to stop the ongoing violations of media freedoms in the Palestinian territories.

On other hand, MADA demands Ministry of Telecommunications in the dismissed government in the Gaza Strip, to backtrack on its decision to levy high fees for licensing of local radio stations, which may lead to the closure of some of them, because of the very bad economic situation in the Gaza Strip.

Six radio stations (Sawt Alsha’ab, Sawt Alquds Alwan, Aleman, Alburaq, and Alasra) issued a statement yesterday, called all parties interested in Palestinian Media to stand for its part, they confirmed “the Palestinian radio stations had and have an important role in facing the Israeli story during, before and after the war, they were the voice of the masses at a time when all the voices failed".