Ramallah- 9 August 2011: The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms has launched two new campaigns calling for an end to Israeli Occupation Forces’ attacks against press freedoms, and an end to the influence of the Palestinian internal political divisions on Palestinian media.

Through these campaigns MADA will implement a series of activities during August 2011, including the publishing of two summary reports on the IOF and Palestinian security service violations over the past three and a half years.

The two reports show that of the violations, the majority are committed by Israeli forces, which also have the highest propensity towards committing physical attack and abuse and are responsible for significantly more incidences of fatalities and serious injury. Among the Palestinian security service violations, a significant decrease has been seen in their numbers since the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement on 4 May 2011, however the impact of this division still remains to be seen particularly with journalists continuing to practice self-censorship.

MADA wishes to emphasize its condemnation of all attacks against journalists regardless of type or perpetrator, and renews its demand for an end to all violations and the observance of local and international law, which guarantees freedom of expression in articles 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Palestinian Basic Law. MADA wishes also to stress the importance of media freedom campaigns, and welcomes the support and solidarity of organizations and individuals. Together, we can make significant strides in halting all violations of freedom of expression in the Palestinian territories.