PA ministry calls on Security Council to stop Israeli attacks against Palestinian journalists

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Information has called on the UN Security Council to implement Resolution 2222 and protect Palestinian journalists from Israeli attacks.

“Hardly a day goes by without the Israeli occupation army committing a new crime against Palestinian journalists and media,” the PA ministry told the current President of the Council, the Dominican Republic’s José Singer. “Today, Israel starts 2019 by firing at the Palestine TV crew and paramedics covering the storming of Joseph’s tomb in Nablus by settlers, which led to journalist Bakr Abdul-Haq being injured in the foot, and medic Yassin Omran being shot twice in the face.”

According to the ministry’s letter, Israel violated media freedoms 926 times in the occupied Palestinian territories last year. Palestinian journalists Yasser Murtaja and Ahmed Abu Hussein were shot and killed, while media and cultural organisations were bombed. Furthermore, printing presses and institutions were also targeted, and Israeli security forces stormed the Palestinian News Agency, Wafa. At least 19 Palestinian journalists are held in detention by the Israelis.

READ: 19 Palestinian journalists are still imprisoned by Israel

The letter pointed out that Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists and the issue of impunity clearly must not apply to Palestinian journalists because “the [Israeli] aggressors continue to go unpunished and carry out crime after crime.” The ministry urged the Security Council to translate the resolution into action, especially the prosecution of those involved in abuses and violations against journalists, and to ensure that, in this instance, the Israelis do not continue to enjoy being able to act with impunity. It called on the UN to put pressure on Israel to release all Palestinian journalists from prison unconditionally.

In conclusion, the Ministry of Information asked the International Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, the Federation of Arab Journalists and journalists’ syndicates worldwide to push for the global implementation of Resolution 2222.

Freedom of the Press in Israel – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]