Israel Closes Palestinian Radio Station

Israel has closed a Palestinian radio station in the West Bank on charges of "calling on Palestinians to carry out attacks, including stabbing Israelis." Israeli army forces entered the "Minbar al-Hurriya" radio station in Hebron in the early hours of Tuesday, November 12, taking some broadcasting equipment with them. According to Israeli and Palestinian media, an order has also been sent by the Israeli army to the manager and founder of this radio station, prohibiting its operation for the next six months. "Minbar al-Hurriya," which operated with about fifty employees under the management of Ayman Qawasmeh, claims to have suffered damages of $350,000. The Qawasmeh clan is affiliated with Hamas in the West Bank; two members of this clan were responsible for the kidnapping and murder of three Jewish teenagers in the spring of 2014, an act that led to the Israeli army's war in Gaza. With a 13-year history in radio broadcasting, "Minbar al-Hurriya" has been temporarily closed by the Israeli army twice before; once in 2002 at the beginning of its operation during the Intifada years and again in 2008 during the Israeli army's war with Hamas in Gaza. Israel claims that since the beginning of the security crisis, the mentioned radio station has dedicated its programs to inciting public opinion regarding violence and stabbings, effectively being a "firestarter" of this war. The Israeli army's attacks on some Palestinian media institutions during security crises, such as last summer's war with Hamas, have precedent; however, after each crisis, these media outlets have resumed their operations. Of the 69 Palestinian fatalities in the recent crisis, 43 were involved in stabbing attacks; 29 incidents included 22 stabbings, three instances of running over Israelis with cars, and four armed attacks against Israelis in Hebron. Stabbings in Hebron over the past three weeks have targeted several security forces and a small group of Jews living in the Jewish neighborhood of the city. In recent days, Israel has returned the bodies of the deceased to their families in Hebron, and Palestinian Authority forces participated in memorial ceremonies for the "martyrs." The current security crisis in Israel is entering its fifth week. In the latest stabbing incidents, on the evening of Monday, November 11, several Jewish passersby, including a 71-year-old man and an 80-year-old woman, were targeted in the main streets of the cities of Rishon Lezion and Netanya in central Israel, and two Palestinian attackers from the West Bank were arrested; one of them was from Hebron. Rami Hamdallah, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, stated on Tuesday that Israel is systematically "executing" Palestinian youth. However, Israel insists that those targeted are involved in stabbing attacks or armed assaults and deliberately running over people in this country. Israel claims that Palestinian incitements are based on "lies" regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while nothing has changed at this holy site. Meanwhile, the Israeli police command emphasized in an order on Tuesday that no members of the Israeli parliament, of any religion, will be allowed to go to Al-Aqsa while the current crisis continues, to avoid being interpreted as incitement. The Israeli security organization also announced that on Tuesday, an extremist Jew named "Dov Morel" was removed from the city of Jerusalem for six months to prevent him from taking actions that could provoke Palestinians. In this context, Israeli media reported that Rabbi David Lau, one of the senior Jewish clerics in Israel, emphasized in an interview that from the perspective of Jewish law, going to the "Temple Mount" in East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is built, is "forbidden" and the beliefs of Muslims should be respected.