Gaza – Days of Palestine:
Today, Sunday, the Palestinian Media Forum organized a stand in solidarity with the journalists who were dismissed from the German media institution “Deutsche Welle”, after they were recently accused of “anti-Semitism”.
The vigil, which was held in front of the “Shawa and Hosary” tower, west of Gaza City, witnessed the participation of dozens of journalists, representatives of local media, and government and legal figures.
The participants in the vigil carried banners of solidarity with the journalists who had been dismissed, and others calling for their return to their jobs and an end to the policy of the Deutsche Welle, which is biased towards the Israeli occupation.
The head of the Government Information Office, Salama Maarouf, spoke during the vigil, expressing solidarity with the Arab journalists who were dismissed from Deutsche Welle, and condemning the arbitrary dismissal that was imposed on them as a result of accusing them of “anti-Semitism.”
He stressed that the procedure that was practiced against them completely departs from professional, objective and media standards, after they expressed their affiliation and support for the humanitarian reality experienced by our people in the occupied territories.
Maarouf called on all institutions concerned with freedom of opinion and expression to do their duty towards those who were dismissed, asking: “How long can these violations against media professionals continue?”
He called for an end to these violations against the Palestinian media family; Stressing the need for the relevant authorities to move to put an end to it.
Maarouf referred to the violations committed by the Israeli occupation, in full view of the world a few months ago, against our people, and against media organizations and media professionals.
In turn, the representative of the frameworks and media institutions, Nasser Al-Arini, said that what happened against the five Arab journalists who were dismissed from “Deutsche Welle” is a heinous massacre and a crime in an unprofessional manner, as a result of the silence of international institutions in the face of violations against journalists.
Al-Arini stressed that this separation has political dimensions, pointing out that all the questions that were directed to those who were subjected to the dismissal are racist and devoid of sympathy for the Palestinian narrative.
He called on the German media network “Deutsche Welle” to immediately retreat and return the journalists to their work, and to open an investigation in the presence of human rights defenders; In order to restore the full rights of these journalists.
The Secretary of the Palestinian Media Forum, Heba Skaik, said that the journalists received with great displeasure the news of the dismissal of Maram Salem and other Arab media professionals from the “Deutsche Welle” website, after a German journalist published a report accusing them of “anti-Semitism.” Despite the journalists’ assertion that their publications are free of this accusation.
She emphasized that this chapter is a dangerous identification with the denial of freedom of opinion and expression; Contrary to what is called for by international laws and humanitarian covenants.
She stressed the media forum’s condemnation of the dismissal of journalists on the pretext of “anti-Semitism”, calling on the International Federation of Journalists and human rights organizations to intervene immediately and urgently to stop targeting journalists and their sympathy with the Palestinian cause.
The director general of the German network, Peter Limburg, announced last Tuesday that 5 Arab journalists had been dismissed, after a two-month investigation, accusing them of “anti-Semitism”, and that investigations were continuing against 8 others for the same reason.
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