IFJ Welcomes Prime Minister Pledge to Promote Safety of Journalists in Palestine

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the assurances given today by Salam Fayyad, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, to bring an end to the harassment of Palestinian journalists by members of Palestinian security services.

At the meeting with the IFJ mission to Palestine, the Prime Minister apologized to Palestinian journalists for the rough treatment some journalists continue to experience at the hand of his government's security forces saying "These are isolated incidents that we never condoned and will not tolerate".

"The PM has been very frank in his promise to work to end any bad treatment meted out to journalists," said IFJ President Jim Boumelha. "We welcome his goodwill to make amends but will not hesitate to remind him of his promise whenever new cases come to light".

Referring to the recently-launched government programme "Homestretch to Freedom", the Palestine PM briefed the mission about the endeavour by his government to give priority to the defence of journalists, their safety and their social and professional rights. His intervention to cancel the license fee mounting debts that threatened the survival of several broadcasting houses has been praised by journalists' representatives as a first step to improve the statute of journalists.

This meeting took place on a tumultuous day where the mission was forbidden to visit journalists in Gaza as Israeli authorities refused to authorise members of the mission to cross to Gaza.  The Palestine Journalists' Syndicate then organised a video link for its members in Gaza to join their colleagues at a meeting due to take place in Ramallah, only to be thwarted by Hamas authorities who stopped the Gaza-based University of Al Azhar to operate the link.

"It is incredible that both Hamas and Israel take similar hostile action, almost simultaneously to stop Palestinian journalists from each side of the divide to talk to each other," said Boumelha. "Whatever the barriers erected by the enemies of press freedom, Palestinian journalists are determined to act in unison in the fight for their right to free movement."

Spurred by the activities generated by the IFJ mission, Palestinian women journalists gathered at the PJS offices to attend a gender seminar with examples of equality work by unions in Norway and Cyprus and discuss common challenges as well as ways to get the important gender issues high on the agenda of the renewed Palestinian union.

Decent working conditions, the possibility of child care and equal opportunities for female journalists were important issues which could make it possible for women to continue as journalists and not give up their careers. They agreed on the need to work within their union and its future gender committee to obtain more equality and gender mainstreaming in the union and in the Palestinian media workplaces.

The IFJ mission also found time to visit journalists in Bethlehem where newly-launched broadcasting and on-line media are having a dramatic impact on the traditional local media landscape. Journalists from the various sectors pledged to unite in launching a local branch representing staff working on all the platforms.

For more information, please contact Monir Zaarour on + 32 472 5876 90

The IFJ represents more than 600.000 members in 125 countries