UN experts alarmed over attacks on pro-Palestinian voices
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Western journalists, athletes, and students critical of Israeli policies in Palestinian territories face censorship, threats, and discrimination, according to a recent OHCHR report
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Demonstrators take part in a protest against action taken by "Israel" in the Gaza strip near the Israeli embassy in London, Friday, July 11, 2014. (AP)
In a recent report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Thursday, UN special experts highlighted that Western journalists, athletes, and students expressing criticism of Israeli policies in Palestinian territories or advocating pro-Palestinian views are subjected to censorship, threats, and discrimination.
"Journalists and media outlets in Israel and Western countries reporting critically about Israeli policies and operations in the occupied territories or expressing pro-Palestinian views have been the target of threats, intimidation, discrimination and retaliation, which have increased the risk of self-censorship, undermining the diversity and plurality of news that is essential for press freedom and the right of the public to be informed," the report read.
Major conferences are being canceled and workers are getting fired in the #US for the sole purpose of supporting #Palestine in light of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.#PalestineGenocide #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/Jwlwdf6Mku
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 22, 2023
One Israeli media outlet is reportedly facing closure threats for a pro-Palestinian 'bias', and social media platforms are disproportionately and unjustly removing pro-Palestinian content, as stated by the experts.
#Meta's involvement in the Israeli misinformation battle has recently come under fire, particularly due to the troubling use of algorithms in the platform's operations.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 20, 2023
One alarming example is the inadvertent insertion of the word "terrorist" into the profile descriptions of… pic.twitter.com/D4Ma4y2NxI
"The experts raised concerns about suspensions and expulsions of students from universities, dismissal of academics, calls for their deportation, threats to dissolve student unions and associations, and restrictions on campus meetings to express solidarity with the suffering civilians in Gaza and denounce the ongoing Israeli military response," the report added.
Certain universities have reportedly blacklisted students who support what is falsely labeled as "terrorism," issuing warnings of potential career setbacks, according to the report.
Read next: Koufiyyeh's artistic dissent stirs Israeli trepidation
Athletes, especially in Europe, have faced suspensions and removal from teams and competitions for expressing their views on the Gaza Strip on social media. Some have received threats of suspension, contract termination, and even deportation, according to the experts.
Calls to an end to the violence in the Gaza Strip and to humanitarian ceasefire, as well as criticism of the Israeli government's policies and actions, have often "misleadingly equated with support for terrorism or anti-Semitism," the experts said.
Four UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights, including Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, signed the document.
@Instagram temporarily suspended @AlMayadenEnglish account on #Instagram to censor its reporting on what is happening in #Palestine. The account was restored after filing an appeal.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 9, 2023
Our account was suspended with no prior notice, nor were we informed of the true reason for the… pic.twitter.com/bFgBWpmy51
Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, up to 50 journalists have been targeted and murdered by the Israeli occupation, two being journalists from Al Mayadeen Media Network.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon, Farah Omar, alongside photojournalist Rabih Me'mari, were martyred on November 21 by an Israeli bombing that deliberately targeted them after they had just finished their live broadcast.
Our beloved colleagues consistently reported on Israeli atrocities in southern Lebanon despite Israeli threats. These two journalists were united in a bond forged by their dedication, bravery, and, ultimately, their sacrifice.
"Israel" has not been averse to the targeting of journalists, and has done so numerous times in the past month, both in Gaza and in South Lebanon.
Soon after the beginning of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and as Israeli shelling on South Lebanon began to increase, "Israel" bombed journalists covering the events in the South, killing Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, wounding two other Reuters journalists and an Al-Jazeera crew.
Again, on November 13, "Israel" launched a strike on media crews, including Al Mayadeen's, in the Lebanese town of Yaroun, near the border. However, the attack thankfully did not result in any injuries.
