thinking quote
By Mary Rizzo • Oct 22nd, 2008 at 22:12 • Category: Quotes, ThinkingUnlike the United States or most Western nations, neither Israel nor Palestine has a constitution (although both operate under respective basic laws). As a result, the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of the press are arbitrarily bestowed rather than guaranteed by law. The closest such guarantee is found in the Palestinian Authority’s Basic Law, which states that every person has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and expression, whether orally, in writing, or through other means.
In 1995, however, the Palestinian Authority instituted a press law making it a crime to criticize the Palestinian Authority or the president. Although on the books for more than a decade, until recently the law was not enforced either in Gaza or the West Bank—but the escalation of attacks on press offices, arrests of journalists, and the cessation of newspaper distribution within Palestine are evidence that the law is now be implemented.
Mohammed Omer
Mary Rizzo is an art restorer, translator and writer living in Italy. Editor and co-founder of Palestine Think Tank, co-founder of Tlaxcala translations collective. Her personal blog is Peacepalestine.
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