The Palestinian Authority has reportedly threatened to take measures against the Qatari TV network Al Jazeera over its “unbalanced” coverage of Palestinian affairs, especially the Israeli military operation in Jenin Refugee Camp.
The threat was included in a letter sent to Al Jazeera headquarters in Doha by Nabil Abu Rudaineh, the Palestinian Minister of Information who also serves as spokesperson for PA President Mahmoud Abbas. The letter, dated June 6, 2023, appeared in several Arab media outlets, but was neither confirmed nor denied by the PA. Some Palestinians said the date was a mistake and should have been July 6, 2023.
The alleged threat came after Al Jazeera interviewed several Palestinians who strongly criticized the PA and its security forces.
A number of groups representing Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip expressed concern over the alleged threat and accused the PA of “incitement” against Al Jazeera.
Last Friday, a masked gunman claiming to speak on behalf of Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of the ruling Fatah faction, accused Al Jazeera of promoting “sedition” among the Palestinians and threatened to close its offices in the West Bank.
In the past, PA officials had accused Al Jazeera of serving as a platform for Hamas.
In 2001, the PA closed the network’s offices in Ramallah for allegedly ridiculing former PLO leader Yasser Arafat. In 2009, the PA again closed the offices of Al Jazeera after it broadcast an interview with veteran PLO leader Farouk Qaddoumi in which he hinted that senior Palestinian officials were involved in the “assassination” of Arafat, who died in 2004.
Abu Rudaineh’s purported letter accused Al Jazeera of “overriding professional work rules in dealing with the Palestinian portfolio and covering the news of Palestine, especially the latest occupation aggression against Jenin and its refugee camp.”
The letter did not provide specific examples of the problematic coverage, but said that this was made clear by Al Jazeera’s “lack of balance and failure to commit to objectivity.” It claimed that Al Jazeera’s reporting on the Palestinian issue could “harm civil peace and the fabric of society.”
“We, therefore, hold you responsible and notify you that we will be forced to take the necessary measures in accordance with the law of the State of Palestine should your channel continue with its approach,” Abu Rudaineh reportedly cautioned.
Al Jazeera dismisses the allegations
Mostefa Souag, Acting Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network, dismissed the PA’s allegations in a letter that also appeared on social media.
Souag was quoted as saying that while his TV channel “welcomes constructive criticism designed to preserve its “accuracy and professionalism,” it was “astonished by the [Palestinian Authority] letter that does not refer to a specific incident that could be reviewed and assessed.” Instead, Souag pointed out, the PA’s complaint included a “general accusation against Al Jazeera of not adhering to professional standards, an accusation that we find untrue after our review of the entire coverage of the aforementioned events.”
He added: “In this context, we would like to confirm Al Jazeera’s commitment to its editorial policy and professional standards of accuracy, objectivity and balance in all its news coverage and that it will not change this editorial line as a result of any pressure or threat from any party.”