Palestinian Culture & Media

"An Introduction"

Cultural institutions are concentrated in the capital Jerusalem/ they include the Kasaba and Palestinian National Theater (Al-Hakawati), 2 music schools and a gallery of experimental and unconventional artwork. Most big cities also have cultural centers. Museums are mainly found in or near Jerusalem's Old City, such as the Haram a-Sharif, the Armenian and Greek Orthodox communities, and the Dar al-Tifl museum of Palestinian heritage. Commercial cinemas and most sports facilities have been closed for servile years. Outside Jerusalem, there are few theaters, cinemas, museums or recreational societies. Churches and the Islamic Waqf administer the daily life of mosque and church, but all the archeological and religious societies. Churches and the Islamic under the control of the Israeli authorities. Many historic sites (e.g. the Byzantine monasteries of the eastern slopes, remain inaccessible. Israel's Nature Reserves authority has also incorporated areas of natural beauty, e.g. the valleys running between Jerusalem/Bethlehem and the Jordan Valley.

Media:

Palestinian newspaper publishing in Palestine dates form the early years of this century. Palestine and a Difa'a were the two main dailies appearing in Jerusalem throughout the British Mandate and reappeared after the patriot of Palestine. In Gaza, Akhbar Falastin was published during the Egyptian administration. Duration the Jordanian administration of the West Bank, several other Arabic dailies were published in Jerusalem. Palestine combined with al-Nahar in 1965 as al-Dustour, published in Amman until today. Al Difa'a Combined with al Jihad and reappeared under the name of al-Quds, published until 1967, as its name suggests, in Jerusalem. The Amman papers Al Raiy and Manar were distributed also in the West Bank until 1967. Two weeklies published in Jerusalem until 1967, al Masa, and the English language Jerusalem Times, predecessor of the Amman Jordan Times and Jerusalem Star.

After 1967, all publishing stopped in East Jerusalem until al Quds received Israeli permission in November 1968. It was the only daily until 1972, all publishing stopped in East Jerusalem until al Quds received Israeli permission in November 1968. It was the only daily until 1972 when Al-Fajr received a permit as a weekly, becoming a daily from 1974 (until 1993) and soon followed by Al-Shaab. An-Nahar, the fourth Jerusalem Arabic daily, appeared in March 1986. Many other papers have appeared since the 1970s, but most have been short-lived.

Today, press offices exist in all main cities. The OPT receive Jordan TV and radio, and some areas also receive broadcasts from Syria and Egypt. An Palestinian television and radian network is currently in the making and besides TV and radio stations, Palestinian media consists of daily newspapers (e.g. Al-Quds, An-Nahar), bi-weekly Arabic papers (e.g. Al-Taliah, Al-Bayader Al-Siyasi) an English weekly, (Jerusalem Times - Biladi), a Hebrew bi-weekly and weekly (Gesher), and monthly magazines and journals (e.g. Al-Kateb, Abeer, Al-Raed Al-Iqtisadi).

Censorship:

Israeli authorities restrict publication/distribution of written material in the Opt whenever the censor considers it a threat to public order. In annexed Jerusalem and Israel, Arabic newspapers published in East Jerusalem are required to submit to the censor or face withdrawal of their permit to publish (Israeli newspapers only need to submit articles which cover security matters). Outside Jerusalem, military orders make it illegal for any printed matter to be brought into the West Bank without a permit and prohibit printing/publishing of anything with political significance. Israel has closed done and confiscated materials from press offices and distributors and holds a list of banned books.

Human Rights Violations:

Soldiers have wide powers of search, confiscation and arrest. Palestinian journalists have no access to information about the OPT held by the military authorities. They cannot, for example, attend military court hearings and have been subject to harassment, imprisonment and even deportation. They often get beaten, shot at, material confiscated and restricted in their work and movement through the declaration of places or regions as closed military areas. Since the DoP (Declaration of Principles) of Sept. 1993, alone, more than 46 such cases have occurred.

Source: PASSIA - Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs