Al Mayadeen affirms its commitment to Palestine despite Isreali ban
6 Min Read
The chairman of Al Mayadeen's board of directors underlines that the network will always be in support of the Palestinian cause, and that the Israeli attempts to silence it will be met with failure.
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Al Mayadeen Media Network Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ghassan Ben Jeddou
The chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Mayadeen Media Network, Ghassan Ben Jeddou, commented on the Israeli cabinet's decision to ban the channel and all of its outlets, from its websites to its social media accounts, in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Ben Jeddou underlined that the decision to ban Al Mayadeen in occupied Palestine was taken by the Israeli cabinet led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Security Minister Yoav Gallant, former Security Minister Benny Gantz, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and others, from senior officials in the Mossad, Shin Bet, and the apparatuses of murder and genocide.
He underlined that the decision was an umbrella ban that included Al Mayadeen's English and Spanish websites, as well as its flagship Arabic website and all of its social media outlets and accounts, not to mention the satellite channel itself. "Perhaps this is the national security victory the Israeli occupation has been looking for amidst its greatest humiliation against the steadfast and glorious Gaza."
The bill banning Al Mayadeen in occupied Palestine "was signed with the trembling hands of the Israeli Communication Minister publicizing the idea of triumph against Al Mayadeen with a deluded and grim pride."
"The Israeli occupation thinks of itself as sending a renewed, direct threat to Al Mayadeen and maybe a message to terrorize the media of the free people wherever they are," Ben Jeddou said. "These sadist child-killers cannot fathom the meaning of freedom and free people."
Al Mayadeen embraces the Palestinian cause
"Here at Al Mayadeen, we never concealed our choice to embrace the Palestinian cause, defend the dignified people of Palestine, and revere Muslim and Christian Palestinian sanctities," he underlined. "We have always been with the people, everywhere."
Al Mayadeen's Chairman of the Board of Directors underlined that the network has long been in support of Resistance movements against occupying forces all over the world, "With the Palestinian people at the forefront, as they are oppressed and violated in every second throughout their history."
Furthermore, he talked about how the network works with "utmost deftness and journalistic professionalism and a sense of patriotic belonging."
He further affirmed that Al Mayadeen advocates absolute tolerance between cultures, instead of a superficial one, and that it fights for a committed journalistic struggle rather than frail journalistic falsehood.
"Al Mayadeen’s reliability throughout history has rendered the occupation’s nights sleepless, and we promise the occupation that we will not stop" despite the ban, Ben Jeddou stressed.
Resolute and steadfast
He went on to explain how Al Mayadeen has worked in occupied Palestine courageously and never knelt before anyone or begged for a permit to operate there. "The occupation authorities' ban is only part of their systematic censorship policy" to undermine the freedom of the press and freedom of speech even if they falsely claim otherwise.
Calling the Israeli occupation a "feeble performative democracy", he noted that Al Mayadeen brazenly faced the Israeli occupation with utmost professionalism and determination as "they countered us with oppression and incitement."
"Al Mayadeen will never back down from its choice to support the people of Palestine and their resistance in the entirety of Palestine. Our physical absence from Occupied Palestine will not succeed in keeping us from supporting the righteous causes of the Palestinian and international masses yearning for freedom," Ben Jeddou added.
"We will not back down from revealing the reality of the genocidal war waged by the occupation on the mighty Gaza and its fearless people."
Furthermore, he underlined that the Israeli occupation's mouthpieces inside and outside Palestine and their subjects "did not realize yet that Al Mayadeen is not only buildings, walls, officers, and cameras," instead, he insisted, "[it is] at its core an idea, a vision, a culture, a choice, and an integrated Arab, international, and humanitarian media project."
Media outlets for the free
Al Mayadeen is one of hundreds, thousands even, of media projects in the free world. "In our Islamic Arab world, Latin America, Africa, Asia, even in the West."
"They may carry a different name, but their message is one: Facing oppression, hegemony, and occupation and achieving dignity, justice, and independence," he added. "Here at Al Mayadeen, we are part of this radiant, international media entity."
"We are grateful for everyone who supported us with a word, a stance, or a call. From the people all around the free world, not only from our beloved Palestine and our dear, great Arab homeland," Ben Jeddou underlined.
"Even if they silence us or take us off the field and off the air [...] we are steadfast and deeply rooted, and we will remain steadfast," he said.
"Isn’t our slogan Tomorrow Starts Today? It is, and we add to it now Tomorrow is Renewed Today," Ben Jeddou declared.
At the end of the video, the Al Mayadeen chief stressed that his address was not a response to the dying Israeli entity's decision, but rather "an informative statement from the free media."
Ban on Al Mayadeen in full effect
The Israeli war cabinet approved regulations that would allow the occupation government to ban and shut down Al Mayadeen Media Network, which comprises a foreign channel as per the emergency regulations descriptions and broadcasts in "Israel" in three languages: Arabic, English, and Spanish.
The occupation's war cabinet has issued an order to block Al Mayadeen's online operations in occupied Palestine as well, and an order to seize its broadcasting equipment will be issued later today.
According to the decision, Al Mayadeen is said to "harm national security."
The decision, which also included banning all websites that could serve as a medium for Al Mayadeen, addressed all Internet service providers to prevent all users of the services from accessing the following websites "that were found, after examination by the Ministry of Information, to be Internet sites through which Al Mayadeen channel broadcasts":
