Under cover of the dark on the night between Friday and Saturday, a force of Israeli tanks and troops moved in on the Palestinian broadcasting center in Ramallah, north of Jerusalem. As the tanks took position on the street below, Israeli troops rushed into the five story building and took it under control. Quickly rounding up Palestinian media personnel in the building, the Israelis ordered the occupants out of the building, then placed explosive charges inside and set them off.
According to reports in the Palestinian and international media, the top stories of the five story building were completely destroyed in the blast, and as daylight broke several hours later thick black smoke was still rising from the gutted remains. The building had been used for the broadcasts of the Voice of Palestine Radio, and had also been partially used for Palestinian Television production.
The Israeli operation did not succeed in taking Voice of Palestine off the air. According to the BBC, Voice of Palestine broadcasts resumed shortly after the attack, beamed from a different facility elsewhere inside Ramallah. Palestinian Television, which operates from Gaza, is also uneffected. The israeli operation did not, however, seem to aim shutting down the Palestinian broadcast as much as at damaging a sign of Palestiain independance. This was clearly understood by the Palestinian leadership, as Palestinain Security Chief Jibril Rajoub told the Reuters news agency: "This stupid Israeli Government wants to destroy the symbol of Palestinian sovereignty. But Voice of Palestine radio is not only a building to be destroyed, it is inside the hearts of every Palestinian."
Last night's Israeli operation was preceeded by other Israeli actions against Palestinian media over the past month. Just three days ago, on January 16th, Palestinain Minister of Culture and Information Yasser Abed Rabbo sent a letter to all of the foreign consuls and representatives to the Palestine National Authority, calling to their attention measures Israel had taken against Palestinian journalists. In his letter, he informed the international representatives that Israel had denied press cards to tens of Palestinian journalists who work for the Arab and international media. Without the Israeli authorized press cards, Palestinian journalists can not move about freely into Jerusalem and other areas inside Israel, thus limiting their ability to perform their professions as journalists and work in their media institutions.
Israel has stated that its action was a response to Thursday night's deadly Palestinian attack in Hadera. However, Israel has openly displayed its animosity towards Palestinian broadcasting for several months, claiming that Palestinian broadcasts were inciting to violence. It is hardly surprising that Israel has used the opportunity to attack another Palestinian thorn in its side. Accoridng to Reuters, Israel had already demolished one of the Voice of Palestine's transmission towers and its broadcasting building in December (www.albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
