Palestinian journalists must unite

Al-Jazeera correspondent in the Gaza Strip Wael al-Dahdouh has stressed the importance of Palestiniabn journalists coming together “in unity,” to defend their people’s freedom. Speaking exclusively to Arabstoday, al-Dahdouh also predicted another Israeli operation in Gaza, calling on reporters to “always be on the alert.” “Palestinian media professionals aren’t ready to cover war and major events because the blockade has meant they suffer from a shortage in equipment,” the al-Jazeera correspondent claimed. “Al-Jazeera is ready to cover a military operation – and while we don’t want events like this to take place, it’s our job.” However al-Dahdouh praised the role played by Palestinian journalists in the last two conflicts in the Gaza Strip – something only made more incredible by the lack of resources, he added. “Reporters across the world are looking to learn from the experiences of Palestinian journalism,” al-Dahdouh said. “Palestinian journalists work with limited resources, plenty of obstacles and have been directly targeted.” “They’ve managed to transform the war from a conflict on the ground to one taking place on the airwaves.” The Gaza Strip correspondent admitted that events in the Palestinian territory had helped journalists train. “Reporters should take every opportunity to train, enriching what they know and how they can prove themselves,” al-Dahdouh advised. The al-Jazeera reporter admitted that Palestinian divisions between Fatah and Hamas had had their effect on the quality of journalism in the Gaza Strip. “We’re faced by a lot of no-go areas when covering things because there isn’t enough freedom.” “I hope Palestinian journalists will remain united,” al-Dahdouh added. “Journalists should remember their shared values when defending their profession against any force that aims to undermine press freedoms.”