Abbas Cracks Down on Media, World Looks Other Way via Gatestone Institute

'Palestinian Authority has resumed its security crackdown on Palestinian journalists and bloggers in the West Bank.But the crackdown has thus far sparked protests only from Palestinian journalists.

Western governments that fund the Palestinian Authority continue to turn a blind eye to the breach of freedom of expression in the West Bank.International human rights groups and organizations purporting to defend freedom of the media also continue to ignore the violations against freedom of expression under the Palestinian Authority.

These groups only see what the Israeli authorities do. On the side of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, or Hamas in the Gaza Strip, they "see no evil."

They know about the assaults on Palestinian journalists by Palestinian security forces. But they choose to bury their heads in the sand. It is more convenient and safer to criticize Israel than the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

For Western governments, so long as the Palestinian Authority leadership says it is committed to the peace process with Israel, its leaders are free to rule as a dictatorship.

Western diplomats based in Ramallah say they are fully aware of the anti-democratic measures taken by the Palestinian Authority. But, they add, these measures are an "internal Palestinian issue" that does not concern the international community.

The silence of the international community drove Palestinian journalists to announce that they have had enough and that the time has come to stage public protests against the crackdown.'

More here http:// www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4057/palestinians-abbas-media

But don't expect to read about this on the BBC where Israel can do no right and the Palestinians can do no wrong.