ever the lapdog, the Palestinian Authority suspends Al-Jazeera's operations in the occupied West Bank.
things are getting out of control in the West Bank and the PA wants to snuff any proper coverage.
Good day, spectators,
And I have some worrying news which is emerging from the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority (PA), the de facto government in this region, has made the decision to suspend Al Jazeera’s coverage completely. This should make us all question the PA’s priorities and loyalties if we didn't do so already.
For those of you who might not be in the loop, the Palestinian Authority is ostensibly a Palestinian government made up of Palestinian leaders who are meant to represent Palestinian interests. You would, therefore, expect them to advocate for Palestine with strength and conviction. Instead, the PA has long been accused of functioning as a puppet for the Israeli government, no stranger to suppressing dissent and doing the Zionist regime’s bidding. Sadly, this seems to be yet another instance of that pattern.
so, what’s actually happening in the West Bank?
To understand this move, we need to dive into a situation that has been bubbling up for a while now. Over the past couple of months, tensions have been growing between the PA and Palestinian resistance groups. Instead of challenging the occupation, the PA appears more focused on quelling internal dissent. This includes targeting media outlets, particularly Al Jazeera, whose reporting has consistently challenged both Israeli narratives and the PA’s complicity.
the shutdown.
Al Jazeera has been one of the most prominent voices documenting the realities of life under occupation and siege, and this seems to have made it a target. Over recent weeks, the PA has been actively obstructing Al Jazeera’s reporting, particularly its investigations into the ongoing situation in Jenin refugee camps and other flashpoints. The final nail in the coffin came with the announcement today that the network’s offices would be forcibly closed.
In a statement released by Al Jazeera, the network detailed the challenges it has faced in covering these stories, emphasising its commitment to reporting the truth despite mounting obstacles.
It’s no coincidence that Al Jazeera’s in-depth and graphic reporting has made it a thorn in the side of not just Israel but also the Palestinian Authority, whose actions (or lack thereof) it has frequently called into question.
a betrayal of journalism and its people.
For me, this move by the Palestinian Authority is nothing less than an unacceptable attack on journalism and truth. At a time when journalists are being targeted, harassed, and even murdered at an unprecedented rate, the PA’s actions represent yet another blow to the essential work of holding power to account. While this is not a violent attack, it is an attack nonetheless—an effort to silence the truth and obscure the reality of life under occupation.
Al Jazeera’s work has been critical to exposing the atrocities committed against Palestinians. If the PA believes it can stifle dissent and control the narrative by closing their offices, it’s sorely mistaken. This decision is not only a betrayal of press freedom but also a spit in the face of those fighting for Palestinian liberation. The PA, if it truly stood for the people it claims to represent, should be thanking Al Jazeera—not obstructing them.
And so, spectators, we must ask: If even the Palestinian Authority is turning on those who expose the truth, who is left to tell the story of Palestine?
Until next time,
(As always, thanks for reading and please give this post a ❤️ and restack below.)
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PA gone IGF 🤦🏼🤮
The PA has for over two decades been described as a 'subcontractor' that enforces the Zionist occupation in Area A (the more urbanized pockets of the West Bank).
History has shown that some degree of indigenous co-operation and/or co-opting is necessary to sustain colonial/authoritarian neo-colonial enterprises. In many British colonies for example, there was the concept of indirect rule, where local political elites (kings, princes, landowners etc.) were given nominal 'ceremonial authority' and rewarded handsomely for taking on the role of enforcers of the colonial diktat (if they refused, they were typically killed or exiled). In essence, it created a veneer of remaining sovereign at a local level.
This same system continues in the present day context, albeit with some superficial modifications to enhance the veneer of 'independence'. Countries such as Egypt, Jordan, the Gulf monarchies are excellent examples of this model in these times, and the PA was established in the 1990s in the same mould.