13 dec 2019
Israeli authorities have been urged by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to immediately release Palestinian journalist, Sameh Al-Titi, or to disclose any charges against him, Middle East Monitor reported.
Al-Titi, a reporter for the Hebron University-affiliated broadcaster Radio Alam, was arrested by Israeli occupation forces on 9 December, at his home in al-Arroub refugee camp, in the southern West Bank.
According to CPJ, Al-Titi is being held at the Petah Tikva interrogation facility, near Tel Aviv, and that “authorities have not disclosed any reason for his arrest or any charges against him.”
Sameh’s brother Alaa, was reported to posted on Facebook on 11 December, that a military court prevented his brother from meeting with a lawyer, and extended his detention for an additional eight days while authorities conduct an investigation.”
“We are very concerned about the arrest of Sameh al-Titi, given Israel’s frequent use of legal measures, including administrative detention, to keep journalists in jail without bringing any charges against them,” CPJ Middle East and North Africa Representative, Ignacio Miguel Delgado declared.
“Israeli authorities should immediately explain why they are holding al-Titi or let him go”.
Alaa al-Titi also described on Facebook, how Israeli forces seized his brother’s laptop and mobile phone during the invasion.
It was noted that “one day before his arrest, al-Titi published an article on the Quds News Network criticizing the Israeli government for using sports to bolster its international reputation.”
The Israeli occupation authorities have yet to reply to the group’s request for comment.
Al-Titi, a reporter for the Hebron University-affiliated broadcaster Radio Alam, was arrested by Israeli occupation forces on 9 December, at his home in al-Arroub refugee camp, in the southern West Bank.
According to CPJ, Al-Titi is being held at the Petah Tikva interrogation facility, near Tel Aviv, and that “authorities have not disclosed any reason for his arrest or any charges against him.”
Sameh’s brother Alaa, was reported to posted on Facebook on 11 December, that a military court prevented his brother from meeting with a lawyer, and extended his detention for an additional eight days while authorities conduct an investigation.”
“We are very concerned about the arrest of Sameh al-Titi, given Israel’s frequent use of legal measures, including administrative detention, to keep journalists in jail without bringing any charges against them,” CPJ Middle East and North Africa Representative, Ignacio Miguel Delgado declared.
“Israeli authorities should immediately explain why they are holding al-Titi or let him go”.
Alaa al-Titi also described on Facebook, how Israeli forces seized his brother’s laptop and mobile phone during the invasion.
It was noted that “one day before his arrest, al-Titi published an article on the Quds News Network criticizing the Israeli government for using sports to bolster its international reputation.”
The Israeli occupation authorities have yet to reply to the group’s request for comment.
11 dec 2019
The Government Information Bureau in Gaza announced, on Tuesday, that this year was the second-worst year for journalism in Palestine, with 557 Israeli violations against journalists, according to Quds News Network.
The spokesperson for the bureau, Salama Ma’arouf, said in a press conference that 2019 has been the second-worst year for journalism in Palestine, after 2018 in terms of the quantity and types of violations.
The bureau stated that 87 journalists were reportedly attacked and 21 were shot with live bullets, in Gaza, while 67 other journalists were attacked in the occupied West Bank during 2019.
The Information Bureau added that May of 2018 saw the highest number of Israeli violations against journalists and media institutions, which were covering marches and demonstrations organized throughout Palestine remembering the Palestinian Nakba or catastrophe, of 1948.
During the May, 2018 marches, Israeli forces caused 33 journalists to suffocate from tear-gas, caused 9 to suffer from burns, or fractures, and shot 24 journalists with rubber-coated metal bullets.
The bureau confirmed that in 2019, 100 journalists were arrested over social media posts. 18 journalists are still held in Israeli jails while 30 more were subject to torture and blackmail. It added that Israeli forces imposed excessive fines on media personnel.
It was also reported that the Israelis carried out approximately 30 raids into media institutions, journalists’ houses, cultural offices, and printing presses, in most cases, confiscating and/or damaging equipment.
The bureau also has documented 27 travel bans and equipment confiscation cases, which aimed to prevent journalists from performing their job, exposing Israeli actions.
The spokesperson for the bureau, Salama Ma’arouf, said in a press conference that 2019 has been the second-worst year for journalism in Palestine, after 2018 in terms of the quantity and types of violations.
The bureau stated that 87 journalists were reportedly attacked and 21 were shot with live bullets, in Gaza, while 67 other journalists were attacked in the occupied West Bank during 2019.
The Information Bureau added that May of 2018 saw the highest number of Israeli violations against journalists and media institutions, which were covering marches and demonstrations organized throughout Palestine remembering the Palestinian Nakba or catastrophe, of 1948.
During the May, 2018 marches, Israeli forces caused 33 journalists to suffocate from tear-gas, caused 9 to suffer from burns, or fractures, and shot 24 journalists with rubber-coated metal bullets.
The bureau confirmed that in 2019, 100 journalists were arrested over social media posts. 18 journalists are still held in Israeli jails while 30 more were subject to torture and blackmail. It added that Israeli forces imposed excessive fines on media personnel.
It was also reported that the Israelis carried out approximately 30 raids into media institutions, journalists’ houses, cultural offices, and printing presses, in most cases, confiscating and/or damaging equipment.
The bureau also has documented 27 travel bans and equipment confiscation cases, which aimed to prevent journalists from performing their job, exposing Israeli actions.
2 dec 2019
In a serious escalation of violations on Palestinian content by social media websites, Sada Social Center said, in a report, that it has documented 223 violations against Palestinian content in November, 2019, up by 50 percent from the previous month.
According to the report, Facebook ranked at top of the violators, with a total of 134 violations, ranging from the removal of pages, accounts, posts and publications, and the restriction of access.
The most notable of those violations were the removal of the following pages: Tulkarm Baldna, Shabab Baladna, Nablus Breaking News, Nablus Times, Anabta Times, Faqqu’a Town, Dura City, and We All Love You Nablus.
In another serious violation, the first of its kind, WhatsApp banned more than 77 Palestinian phone numbers which belonged to activists, journalists, and others, without any legal justification.
Twitter has also deleted 8 Palestinian accounts, the most important of which are: Quds News Network (the English and Arabic pages), Quds Network Network – Breaking, the personal accounts of Yusuf Isleih, Yahya Helles, and Samir Al Khairy Account.
Sada Social Center also documented 4 violations of the Palestinian content by Instagram and one by YouTube, PNN further reports.
The center said that it has been in continuous contact with the social media administrations in order to restore the removed accounts and pages.
So far, this month, it was able to restore 18 Palestinian pages and accounts on Facebook, in addition to the Twitter account of the Palestinian government’s spokesman, Ibrahim Melhem.
Launched in early September 2017, Sada Social Center has been concerned with launching initiatives to enrich Palestinian content on the Internet, especially on the social media, and monitor any violations of this content.
According to the report, Facebook ranked at top of the violators, with a total of 134 violations, ranging from the removal of pages, accounts, posts and publications, and the restriction of access.
The most notable of those violations were the removal of the following pages: Tulkarm Baldna, Shabab Baladna, Nablus Breaking News, Nablus Times, Anabta Times, Faqqu’a Town, Dura City, and We All Love You Nablus.
In another serious violation, the first of its kind, WhatsApp banned more than 77 Palestinian phone numbers which belonged to activists, journalists, and others, without any legal justification.
Twitter has also deleted 8 Palestinian accounts, the most important of which are: Quds News Network (the English and Arabic pages), Quds Network Network – Breaking, the personal accounts of Yusuf Isleih, Yahya Helles, and Samir Al Khairy Account.
Sada Social Center also documented 4 violations of the Palestinian content by Instagram and one by YouTube, PNN further reports.
The center said that it has been in continuous contact with the social media administrations in order to restore the removed accounts and pages.
So far, this month, it was able to restore 18 Palestinian pages and accounts on Facebook, in addition to the Twitter account of the Palestinian government’s spokesman, Ibrahim Melhem.
Launched in early September 2017, Sada Social Center has been concerned with launching initiatives to enrich Palestinian content on the Internet, especially on the social media, and monitor any violations of this content.
17 nov 2019
The US technology company, Microsoft, says it is investigating whether the use of facial recognition technology developed by an Israeli startup company it funded “complies with its ethics principles,” following reports that Israel uses the company’s facial recognition technology for surveillance on Palestinians.
On Friday, Microsoft, which is based near Seattle, Washington, said in a statement that former US Attorney General Eric Holder would lead a team from the Covington & Burling law firm, in conducting the probe.
Holder, the top US legal and law endorsement official under former President Barack Obama, was hired by Uber Technologies in 2017, to review claims of sexual harassment.
M12, the venture fund of Microsoft, participated in a $74 million investment in June, on AnyVision, an Israeli startup based outside Tel Aviv.
AnyVision has come under scrutiny following reports, by NBC News and Israeli media, that its technology is used to spy on Palestinians who live in the occupied territories.
AnyVision has denied the reports, claiming its software was not used for surveillance and was deployed at border crossings, for biometric identification.
The probe reflects growing unease about facial recognition surveillance technology, in the United States and elsewhere, that human rights organizations say could limit freedom of expression and lead to unfair arrests.
Microsoft announced facial recognition ethics principles last year, saying the company would “advocate for safeguards for people’s democratic freedoms in law enforcement surveillance scenarios and will not deploy facial recognition technology in scenarios that we believe will put these freedoms at risk.”
Israel has faced growing criticism, to the point of boycott, in the West, for its inhumane policies against Palestinians.
Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency further reports that, since his election, US President Donald Trump has taken a series of steps to increase American support for Israel, including recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital, as well as sovereignty over Syria’s Golan Heights.
Polls show that Trump’s close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has weakened sympathy for Israel among Democratic and Jewish voters.
Among liberal Democrats, there is now an almost even split between those saying they sympathize with the Israeli side and those supporting Palestine, according to a Gallup poll in February.
On Friday, Microsoft, which is based near Seattle, Washington, said in a statement that former US Attorney General Eric Holder would lead a team from the Covington & Burling law firm, in conducting the probe.
Holder, the top US legal and law endorsement official under former President Barack Obama, was hired by Uber Technologies in 2017, to review claims of sexual harassment.
M12, the venture fund of Microsoft, participated in a $74 million investment in June, on AnyVision, an Israeli startup based outside Tel Aviv.
AnyVision has come under scrutiny following reports, by NBC News and Israeli media, that its technology is used to spy on Palestinians who live in the occupied territories.
AnyVision has denied the reports, claiming its software was not used for surveillance and was deployed at border crossings, for biometric identification.
The probe reflects growing unease about facial recognition surveillance technology, in the United States and elsewhere, that human rights organizations say could limit freedom of expression and lead to unfair arrests.
Microsoft announced facial recognition ethics principles last year, saying the company would “advocate for safeguards for people’s democratic freedoms in law enforcement surveillance scenarios and will not deploy facial recognition technology in scenarios that we believe will put these freedoms at risk.”
Israel has faced growing criticism, to the point of boycott, in the West, for its inhumane policies against Palestinians.
Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency further reports that, since his election, US President Donald Trump has taken a series of steps to increase American support for Israel, including recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital, as well as sovereignty over Syria’s Golan Heights.
Polls show that Trump’s close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has weakened sympathy for Israel among Democratic and Jewish voters.
Among liberal Democrats, there is now an almost even split between those saying they sympathize with the Israeli side and those supporting Palestine, according to a Gallup poll in February.
