The art of black propaganda

Reports that the headquarters of the Palestinian Journalists Union in Gaza have been shut down by Hamas security forces should concern everyone with an interest in hearing the truth of what takes place in that troubled area. According to the Guardian newspaper, the PJU is “dominated by the secular Fatah movement”, the main opponents of the ruling Hamas government.

Of course, while governments in parts of the world steeped in political conflict that turns to bloodshed with sickening frequency have every right to be wary of organisations dominated by political foes, closing a journalists’ union is a risky business. The media plays an important role in the Israel-Palestine conflict, where it is dominated by a pro-Israel lobby with influence around the world. It is essential for a more balanced picture to emerge for there to be a vibrant media in the areas controlled by Palestinians.

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The source of the Guardian’s report is “AFP/Haaretz”; Agency France Presse and an Israeli newspaper. The anonymous agency journalist claims that “25 media outlets have been shut down” since Hamas won the Palestinian elections in 2006. Actually, I made that up; the Guardian report says that Hamas “seized power in June 2007” and the outlets have been closed “since the Hamas takeover”. This, of course, overlooks the fact that the violence of June 2007 was a result of Hamas pre-empting a military coup, planned by a faction within Fatah and backed by Israel and the United States. Hamas was the legitimate, democratically-elected government at that time, and remains so in the absence of any further elections and despite hypocritical opposition from the West and Israel.

That’s not the only evidence that the journalist who wrote that article for AFP is being economical with the truth. A couple of telephone calls to Gaza suggest that there is much more to this story than meets the proverbial eye.

The source in Gaza said that the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah appointed 16 members of the Journalists’ Union rather than allowing the members to be elected. Hamas, apparently, has no intention of closing down the PJU office in Gaza and, in fact, it hasn’t been closed down as I write. When Hamas security officials visited the PJU it was to ask representatives what was happening following allegations of a “fraudulent union non-election”. It is alleged that the PJU members became very defensive and started quarrelling with the security officials, accusing them of trying to stifle freedom of speech, etc. Perhaps that is what prompted an email or phone call to a contact at AFP which gave birth to a subtle piece of black propaganda.

The AFP/Haarezt/Guardian report illustrates why governments like Hamas need to allow the media to thrive. Yes, there will be instances where black propaganda like that report will be produced; all the more reason to encourage an atmosphere wherein journalists can produce an abundance of positive material which can counter the negativity. I hope that the government in Gaza doesn’t eventually decide to close the office of the Palestinian Journalists Union, as that would only serve to promote the myth that Hamas runs an oppressive regime.

When I was in Gaza earlier this year, I was told that “the government does not want to ‘Talibanise'” the population; the movement is seeking to bring a moderate Erdogan-style Islamic rule to the people of Palestine. Self-censorship is sometimes necessary to prevent conflict, and government-imposed censorship can protect vulnerable members of society, so I don’t advocate absolute press freedom. However, preventing political opponents from having their say does not bode well for a movement claiming moderation. Perhaps the Ramallah-controlled Palestinian Journalists Union would like to give that statement some thought.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.