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| By israelinsider staff December 21, 2006 |
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Recent Palestinian infighting has extended beyond bullets and rockets this week as Fatah leaders hurl accusations that the Arab news network Al-Jazeera reports with a pro-Hamas bias.
In response to the accusations, Hamas has come to the network's defense calling the Qatar-based media outlet fair and objective.
According to an article in the Hamas newspaper Al-Risalah, Al Jazeera "...has always been thorough in conveying the suffering of the Palestinians and their message to the world in a professional and respectful manner."
The Hamas article also details claims that Fatah leaders organized and executed acts of violence against Al-Jazeera reporters, including the torching of an Al-Jazeera office and three cars belonging to its journalists.
But Fatah slammed back in its newspaper Al Hayat Al Jadida saying that, "It is apparent to everyone...the obvious bias and the lack of objectivity," exercised by Al-Jazeera in reporting on internal Palestinian issues.
The accusations of a pro-Hamas stance come at an extremely critical time for both Palestinians and Israelis. Recent weeks have seen brutal acts of factional Palestinian violence, including the murder of a Fatah official's children and the execution of two pro-Hamas judges.
Equally crucial, however, is Al-Jazeera's positioning within the Israeli media market. One of Israel's two leading television cable providers, Yes, decided earlier this month to drop BBC World in favor of Al-Jazeera English.
The move represents a small coup for Al-Jazeera since the majority of its founding staff were trained by the BBC for a special Arab-focused section of the British media giant. BBC World will lose half of its Israeli reach on account of the change.
The allegations of a pro-Hamas bent in the network might also spell political troubles for both Al-Jazeera and Israel. Hamas is staunchly opposed to negotiating with Israel and refuses to recognize the existence of the Jewish state.
Although neither Israel nor the US censors the new international version, the company has come under significant pressure from Muslim governments which complain to the network about 400 times a year.
Palestinian Media Watch contributed to this report. |
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