Michael Ejercito
2017-03-14 06:35:38 UTC
The Dirty Little Secret of Palestinian Journalism - with Agence
France-Presse Collusion
by Bassam Tawil
March 13, 2017 at 5:00 am
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10040/palestinians-agence-france-presse
Nasser Abu Baker, Chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS),
who also works as a correspondent for Agence France-Press (AFP), also lashed
out at Al-Quds for publishing the Israeli advertisement. "We are determined
to combat normalization and those who promote it," he vowed.
Abu Baker, who recently ran in the election for the Fatah Revolutionary
Council, is the architect of the PJS campaign to boycott Israeli journalists
and media outlets. His political activism constitutes a flagrant violation
of the regulations and principles of AFP, and a conflict of interest.
However, this does not seem to bother his employers at the French news
agency, who apparently do not see a problem with one of their employees
running in the election for Fatah's Revolutionary Council.
Abu Baker and his colleagues have one mission: to "combat normalization"
with Israel. For them, this task far exceeds in importance exposing
financial corruption in the Palestinian Authority (PA) or reporting about
assaults on freedom of expression. It is also evidently more important than
protesting the arbitrary arrest and torture of their colleagues at the hands
of the PA and Hamas.
One can only imagine the response of the Western mainstream media if the
chairman of the Israeli Journalists Union or the Government Press Office
called for a boycott of Palestinian journalists.
Palestinian journalists are up in arms. The Palestinian Authority (PA) in
the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip are arresting and torturing them,
and imposing severe restrictions on their work and freedom of expression.
But that is not what is upsetting them.
No, the journalists are angry because a Palestinian daily newspaper dared to
publish a paid advertisement by the Israeli authorities. The journalists are
now demanding that the newspaper, Al-Quds, apologize for running the
advertisement by the Israeli Civil Administration in the West Bank.
Last week, dozens of angry journalists staged a protest outside the offices
of the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) in Ramallah,
where they threatened to boycott the newspaper for "promoting normalization"
with Israel by publishing the advertisement.
Murad Sudani, chairman of the Palestinian Writers Union, strongly condemned
Al-Quds for running the advertisement and accused its editors of "promoting
the Israeli narrative and settlements." He also accused the newspaper of
encouraging normalization with Israel, pointing out that Palestinian
professional unions were in agreement over the need to oppose all forms of
normalization with Israel.
Nasser Abu Baker, chairman of the PJS, who also works as a correspondent for
Agence France-Press (AFP), lashed out at Al-Quds for publishing the
advertisement. He told the protesters that Al-Quds should not "serve the
policies" of Israel.
"We insist that Al-Quds remain a national institution of the Palestinian
people," he said. Abu Baker repeated his syndicate's opposition to
normalization with Israel and praised his colleagues for raising their voice
against Al-Quds. Abu Baker demanded that the newspaper apologize to
Palestinians in general and journalists in particular for allegedly
promoting normalization with Israel. "We are determined to combat
normalization and those who promote it," he vowed.
Abu Baker, who recently ran in the election for the Fatah Revolutionary
Council, is the architect of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate's
campaign to boycott Israeli journalists and media outlets. His political
activism constitutes a flagrant violation of the regulations and principles
of AFP and a conflict of interests. However, this does not seem to bother
his employers at the French news agency, who do not see a problem with one
of their employees running in the election for Fatah's Revolutionary
Council.
Last year, Abu Baker and his syndicate called on Palestinian journalists and
officials to boycott Israeli media outlets. In a statement, the syndicate
claimed that Israeli journalists "enter the territories of the occupied
State of Palestine and work there together with the occupation army and
under its protection." The statement accused Israeli journalists of being
"unprofessional" and serving as a "mouthpiece for the occupation to justify
its crimes against the Palestinian people."
Still, AFP does not seem to see this call by one of its senior journalists
as problematic. By accusing the Israeli journalists of serving as a
"mouthpiece" for the Israeli authorities and working "under the protection"
of the Israel Defense Forces, Abu Baker and his syndicate are actually
endangering the lives of the Israeli journalists and turning them into
supposedly legitimate targets. This is the case: a journalist working for a
respected international news organization perpetrates incitement against
Israeli reporters, and the AFP takes it in stride.
Nasser Abu Baker is a correspondent for Agence France-Presse and heads the
Ramallah-based Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS). He is also a
political operative who recently ran in (and lost) an election for Fatah's
Revolutionary Council.
Abu Baker is not the only journalist working for an international media
outlet who is involved in political activism. Several other Palestinian
journalists who participated in the protest against Al-Quds and who openly
advocate boycotts of Israel have long been serving as producers and
reporters for Western media outlets. This is the "dirty little secret" that
Western media outlets do not wish to reveal for various reasons. One of them
is because they are afraid of losing access to sources in the Palestinian
Authority. Another is because these media outlets sympathize with their
Palestinian producers and reporters and see them as "victims" of Israel.
Yet, hell would freeze over before they would employ an Israeli political
activist as a reporter or producer.
The case of AFP's Abu Baker spotlights the bias of the mainstream media
against Israel. Journalists like Abu Baker are silent about anything that
reflects negatively on the Palestinian Authority in general or Palestinians
in particular. These journalists regard themselves as "soldiers" serving
their leaders and cause. They are interested exclusively in the wrongdoings
of Israel, and they are obsessed with news that paints Israel black.
This trend has even found its way to some Israeli news organizations, whose
reporters actually avoid stories that could turn their Palestinian
colleagues against them. Asked why he was not reporting about the conflict
of interest of some Palestinian journalists who double as activists, one
Israeli journalist explained that he does not want to "lose access" to
Palestinian sources and he does not want to upset Palestinians he works with
and seeks to interview.
Abu Baker and his colleagues have one mission: to "combat normalization"
with Israel. For them, this task far exceeds in importance exposing
financial corruption in the Palestinian Authority or reporting about
assaults on freedom of expression. It is also evidently more important than
protesting the arbitrary arrest and torture of their colleagues at the hands
of the PA and Hamas.
The latest campaign against Al-Quds is not the first of its kind. In October
2016, the newspaper came under fire for interviewing Israeli Defense
Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Again, the condemnations were spearheaded by
Palestinian journalists who accused the newspaper of promoting
"normalization" with Israel. The Palestinian Authority's Ministry of
Information accused Al-Quds of providing a "killer" with a platform.
Here it is worth noting that no such ban exists on Palestinian officials in
the Israeli media. Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas,
Jibril Rajoub and Saeb Erekat are regularly interviewed by Israeli
newspapers, television channels and radio stations. One can only imagine the
response of the Western mainstream media if the chairman of the Israeli
Journalists Union or the Government Press Office called for a boycott of
Palestinian journalists.
The campaign against Al-Quds is in the context of the Palestinians' war
against "normalization" with Israel. The goal of the campaign is out-and-out
intimidation -- of any Palestinian who wishes to meet with an Israeli. As
such, it is a campaign that severely damages peace prospects between
Palestinians and Israelis.
Such a campaign of intimidation becomes even more dangerous when it is
fueled by journalists, some of whom work for major Western media
organizations. The Palestinian journalists' "anti-normalization" onslaught
shows that they have managed to infiltrate and influence Western news
organizations, which almost always submit to the dictates of their
Palestinian employees. No great wonder, then, that Israel is anathema in the
Western media.
Bassam Tawil is a scholar based in the Middle East.
France-Presse Collusion
by Bassam Tawil
March 13, 2017 at 5:00 am
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10040/palestinians-agence-france-presse
Nasser Abu Baker, Chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS),
who also works as a correspondent for Agence France-Press (AFP), also lashed
out at Al-Quds for publishing the Israeli advertisement. "We are determined
to combat normalization and those who promote it," he vowed.
Abu Baker, who recently ran in the election for the Fatah Revolutionary
Council, is the architect of the PJS campaign to boycott Israeli journalists
and media outlets. His political activism constitutes a flagrant violation
of the regulations and principles of AFP, and a conflict of interest.
However, this does not seem to bother his employers at the French news
agency, who apparently do not see a problem with one of their employees
running in the election for Fatah's Revolutionary Council.
Abu Baker and his colleagues have one mission: to "combat normalization"
with Israel. For them, this task far exceeds in importance exposing
financial corruption in the Palestinian Authority (PA) or reporting about
assaults on freedom of expression. It is also evidently more important than
protesting the arbitrary arrest and torture of their colleagues at the hands
of the PA and Hamas.
One can only imagine the response of the Western mainstream media if the
chairman of the Israeli Journalists Union or the Government Press Office
called for a boycott of Palestinian journalists.
Palestinian journalists are up in arms. The Palestinian Authority (PA) in
the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip are arresting and torturing them,
and imposing severe restrictions on their work and freedom of expression.
But that is not what is upsetting them.
No, the journalists are angry because a Palestinian daily newspaper dared to
publish a paid advertisement by the Israeli authorities. The journalists are
now demanding that the newspaper, Al-Quds, apologize for running the
advertisement by the Israeli Civil Administration in the West Bank.
Last week, dozens of angry journalists staged a protest outside the offices
of the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) in Ramallah,
where they threatened to boycott the newspaper for "promoting normalization"
with Israel by publishing the advertisement.
Murad Sudani, chairman of the Palestinian Writers Union, strongly condemned
Al-Quds for running the advertisement and accused its editors of "promoting
the Israeli narrative and settlements." He also accused the newspaper of
encouraging normalization with Israel, pointing out that Palestinian
professional unions were in agreement over the need to oppose all forms of
normalization with Israel.
Nasser Abu Baker, chairman of the PJS, who also works as a correspondent for
Agence France-Press (AFP), lashed out at Al-Quds for publishing the
advertisement. He told the protesters that Al-Quds should not "serve the
policies" of Israel.
"We insist that Al-Quds remain a national institution of the Palestinian
people," he said. Abu Baker repeated his syndicate's opposition to
normalization with Israel and praised his colleagues for raising their voice
against Al-Quds. Abu Baker demanded that the newspaper apologize to
Palestinians in general and journalists in particular for allegedly
promoting normalization with Israel. "We are determined to combat
normalization and those who promote it," he vowed.
Abu Baker, who recently ran in the election for the Fatah Revolutionary
Council, is the architect of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate's
campaign to boycott Israeli journalists and media outlets. His political
activism constitutes a flagrant violation of the regulations and principles
of AFP and a conflict of interests. However, this does not seem to bother
his employers at the French news agency, who do not see a problem with one
of their employees running in the election for Fatah's Revolutionary
Council.
Last year, Abu Baker and his syndicate called on Palestinian journalists and
officials to boycott Israeli media outlets. In a statement, the syndicate
claimed that Israeli journalists "enter the territories of the occupied
State of Palestine and work there together with the occupation army and
under its protection." The statement accused Israeli journalists of being
"unprofessional" and serving as a "mouthpiece for the occupation to justify
its crimes against the Palestinian people."
Still, AFP does not seem to see this call by one of its senior journalists
as problematic. By accusing the Israeli journalists of serving as a
"mouthpiece" for the Israeli authorities and working "under the protection"
of the Israel Defense Forces, Abu Baker and his syndicate are actually
endangering the lives of the Israeli journalists and turning them into
supposedly legitimate targets. This is the case: a journalist working for a
respected international news organization perpetrates incitement against
Israeli reporters, and the AFP takes it in stride.
Nasser Abu Baker is a correspondent for Agence France-Presse and heads the
Ramallah-based Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS). He is also a
political operative who recently ran in (and lost) an election for Fatah's
Revolutionary Council.
Abu Baker is not the only journalist working for an international media
outlet who is involved in political activism. Several other Palestinian
journalists who participated in the protest against Al-Quds and who openly
advocate boycotts of Israel have long been serving as producers and
reporters for Western media outlets. This is the "dirty little secret" that
Western media outlets do not wish to reveal for various reasons. One of them
is because they are afraid of losing access to sources in the Palestinian
Authority. Another is because these media outlets sympathize with their
Palestinian producers and reporters and see them as "victims" of Israel.
Yet, hell would freeze over before they would employ an Israeli political
activist as a reporter or producer.
The case of AFP's Abu Baker spotlights the bias of the mainstream media
against Israel. Journalists like Abu Baker are silent about anything that
reflects negatively on the Palestinian Authority in general or Palestinians
in particular. These journalists regard themselves as "soldiers" serving
their leaders and cause. They are interested exclusively in the wrongdoings
of Israel, and they are obsessed with news that paints Israel black.
This trend has even found its way to some Israeli news organizations, whose
reporters actually avoid stories that could turn their Palestinian
colleagues against them. Asked why he was not reporting about the conflict
of interest of some Palestinian journalists who double as activists, one
Israeli journalist explained that he does not want to "lose access" to
Palestinian sources and he does not want to upset Palestinians he works with
and seeks to interview.
Abu Baker and his colleagues have one mission: to "combat normalization"
with Israel. For them, this task far exceeds in importance exposing
financial corruption in the Palestinian Authority or reporting about
assaults on freedom of expression. It is also evidently more important than
protesting the arbitrary arrest and torture of their colleagues at the hands
of the PA and Hamas.
The latest campaign against Al-Quds is not the first of its kind. In October
2016, the newspaper came under fire for interviewing Israeli Defense
Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Again, the condemnations were spearheaded by
Palestinian journalists who accused the newspaper of promoting
"normalization" with Israel. The Palestinian Authority's Ministry of
Information accused Al-Quds of providing a "killer" with a platform.
Here it is worth noting that no such ban exists on Palestinian officials in
the Israeli media. Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas,
Jibril Rajoub and Saeb Erekat are regularly interviewed by Israeli
newspapers, television channels and radio stations. One can only imagine the
response of the Western mainstream media if the chairman of the Israeli
Journalists Union or the Government Press Office called for a boycott of
Palestinian journalists.
The campaign against Al-Quds is in the context of the Palestinians' war
against "normalization" with Israel. The goal of the campaign is out-and-out
intimidation -- of any Palestinian who wishes to meet with an Israeli. As
such, it is a campaign that severely damages peace prospects between
Palestinians and Israelis.
Such a campaign of intimidation becomes even more dangerous when it is
fueled by journalists, some of whom work for major Western media
organizations. The Palestinian journalists' "anti-normalization" onslaught
shows that they have managed to infiltrate and influence Western news
organizations, which almost always submit to the dictates of their
Palestinian employees. No great wonder, then, that Israel is anathema in the
Western media.
Bassam Tawil is a scholar based in the Middle East.