Jordanian and Palestinian journalists condemn German accusations against Roya TV

journalists in Jordan and Palestine condemned the accusations made by the German "Deutsche Welle" channel against the Jordanian "Roya" channel, and they denied these accusations altogether and in detail, considering them as "false fallacies against the channel."

The Jordanian Journalists Syndicate issued a joint statement with the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemning the accusations made by Deutsche Welle to the Jordanian Roya TV channel of anti-Semitism.

In the statement, the councils of the two unions denounced Deutsche Welle’s decision to terminate its partnership with “Roya,” strongly condemning the “false accusations and fallacies against Roya TV.”

The statement considered the decision biased by "Deutsche Welle" and acquiescence to the Israeli occupation, and its continuous attempt to silence the voice of truth, not reveal the crimes it commits, and break the honest and objective word.

The statement pointed out that this decision is far from impartial and journalistic professionalism, which the media must possess in order to reveal the truth and exercise its role responsibly, and constitutes a deliberate violation of international conventions and norms, which is unacceptable.

He expressed the two unions' absolute support for the "Roya" channel and the goals that always aim to reveal the truth of the Israeli occupation entity, and its use of all forms of pressure to mislead public opinion and cover up its crimes and continuous aggression against the Palestinian people and the Arab nation and distort the facts.

The statement called on the German Foundation to reverse this decision, which contradicts the principles of journalistic and professional work, codes of conduct and professional ethics, and to support all media outlets and their orientations in their alignment with the Palestinian people and their rights.

He affirmed the absolute support of the Jordanian and Palestinian unions for the local, national and international media advocating in exposing the practices of the Zionist occupation against the defenseless Palestinian people.

And the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle announced weeks ago that it would suspend cooperation with the Jordanian "Roya" channel, due to concerns about what it said were "anti-Israel, anti-Semitic content and comic strips on its social media."

The state-owned Deutsche Welle also announced the suspension of some of its Arab employees and independent workers abroad, provided that an investigation would be opened, with the participation of former German Justice Minister Sabine Leuthäuser Schnärnberger and psychiatrist Ahmed Mansour on accusations related to their anti-Semitism.

Shortly before that, the radio suspended the scientific program "Quark" presented by Nima Al-Hassan, a German journalist of Palestinian origin, due to similar allegations of "anti-Israel".

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor expressed its deep concern about the escalation of targeting and defaming Arab and Palestinian journalists working in German media.

The Geneva-based observatory said that since the German parliament passed a resolution describing the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel as "anti-Semitic", the country has witnessed increasing campaigns aimed at confusing anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, and criminalizing criticism of Israeli violations against Palestinians. The Euro-Med Monitor said that this not only constitutes a serious danger to freedom of expression, but also involves using accusations of anti-Semitism as a weapon against minority public figures.

Five Arab journalists, including two Palestinian women, were suspended for publishing publications critical of Israel.

The Euro-Med Monitor indicated that newspapers, organizations and members of extremist right-wing groups loyal to Israel target Arab or Palestinian journalists in the German media, and are making great efforts to research their past in order to find what condemns them and then suspend them from work.

The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor warned German media outlets such as “Deutsche Welle” and “West German Radio” about the danger of arbitrarily expelling Palestinian and Arab journalists due to defamation campaigns carried out by groups loyal to Israel or the extreme right, which would motivate more discriminatory targeting of public figures of Palestinian origin. Or Arab, or those who have sympathetic views of the rights and freedom of the Palestinians.