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Palestine Authority Targets Truth
On April 25, Haaretz headlined, "Palestinian Authority blocks news websites critical of Abbas"....saying:
The PA instructed ISPs to block access to critical news websites. There's plenty to criticize Abbas for, especially for being a longtime Israeli collaborator against the interests of his own people. Instead of correcting what's wrong, he wants truth suppressed.
The PA "blocked eight news (sites) operating in the West Bank." They include Amad, Fatah, Fatah Voice, Firas Press, In Light Press, Karama Press, Kofia Press, Milad News, and Palestine Beituna.
The Palestinian communications company Paltel (part owned by the PA) agreed to the move. The sites focus on "internal Palestinian matters...." Earlier, the PA closed a critical TV station.
Attorney General Ahmad Al Mughani ordered the shutdown. He neither confirmed or denied it. Communication Minister Mashur Abu Daqqa said he was involved. "He makes his own rules in order to justify what is only his own decision," he said.
Doing so violates the public interest, he added. In March, Al Mughani ordered a journalist arrested for reporting Palestinian Foreign Ministry corruption.
International Press Institute's Naomi Hunt said the PA had no reason to jail Yousef al-Shayeb while investigating libel and defamation allegations regarding his January Jordanian newspaper story.
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