(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Israeli Defence Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, RSF expressed its indignation over the Israeli army’s destruction of the transmitter and buildings housing the Palestinian radio and television headquarters in Ramallah. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said he was “appalled at such an action, which shows your contempt for Palestinian media.” “This measure […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Israeli Defence Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, RSF expressed its indignation over the Israeli army’s destruction of the transmitter and buildings housing the Palestinian radio and television headquarters in Ramallah. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said he was “appalled at such an action, which shows your contempt for Palestinian media.” “This measure is totally unacceptable, whatever one may think of the programmes broadcast by the Voice of Palestine. It represents yet another step in the escalation of violence in the region. RSF had already added Israeli army chief of staff Shaul Moffaz to its list of press freedom predators. We note, unfortunately, that such a decision is justified because Israel has once again demonstrated its complete lack of respect for freedom of expression,” Ménard added.
According to information collected by RSF, at around midday on 13 December 2001, the Israeli army demolished the Palestinian radio and TV broadcasting centre in Ramallah after blowing up its transmission tower. The centre had stopped broadcasting the previous evening after being heavily damaged by night bombing . The next day, the Israeli army blew up the transmitter and its bulldozers cleared away what remained of the buildings. The official media outlets are now forced to use the facilities of private radio and TV stations in order to continue broadcasting.
