PA closes West Bank radio station at Israeli request

Following demands form Israeli forces, Palestinian police were ordered to shut down Al-Huriya Radio because of alleged interference with airport tower radio communication, Palestinian security sources confirmed Saturday.

Officials in the Palestinian Authority said they were threatened several times and told to shut down the station, but opted to mediate with the radio station owner and Israeli officials. Technicians examined the case and suggested putting a filter on the radio transmission so its frequency would not interfere with the airport towers, they said.

Majdy Al-Arbid, Al-Huriyah radio manager told Reuters that he was detained when he refused to shut down the broadcasts, and was kept in prison for a day as police closed his offices. He was reportedly released on bail Friday.

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PA officials said the issue was the result of a misunderstanding, noting that they did not want to shut down the station but rather take it off the air until the filter was installed. They accused Al-Arbid of starting a fight with the officers assigned to his case and of severely beating one of the men.

The report noted the incident as an example of police stepping up security efforts, saying “Israel has insisted on better Palestinian security control as a condition for resuming peace talks stalled since last December.”

Source: Maan