Arab League Criticizes Western Media’s Coverage of Occupation’s Crimes in Gaza

The League of Arab States has criticized the blatant bias of some Western media outlets that support the notion of legitimate self-defense, and turn a blind eye to the horrific criminal acts of the Israeli occupation forces that left thousands of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, including dozens of journalists and teams, and Medical and relief operations, causing massive destruction to infrastructure, facilities, and places of worship, in flagrant violation of the provisions of international law and international humanitarian law. Ambassador Ahmed Rashid Khattabi, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Media and Communication Sector of the League of Arab States, stressed in a statement on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, which falls on May 3 of each year, the necessity of ensuring the safety of journalists in the inflamed areas, stressing that commemorating this international day represents an opportunity to consider the humanitarian and moral repercussions of the devastating Israeli war against the Gaza Strip, and the profound questions it raised about the credibility and integrity of Western platforms that did not hesitate to go along with the false Israeli narrative, which has always declared itself a guardian of "universal" human rights values, with freedom of the press at its core. Khattabi stressed the importance of committing to devoting an environment conducive to the exercise of public freedoms, at its core the freedom of the press and media across various spaces and forms of expression, in order to establish a meaningful Arab media that defends the values of peace, justice and gender equality, and is consistent with the concerns of citizens and the requirements of sustainable development at the local, national and international levels. The Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States further noted that the media plays an influential role in shaping public opinion trends, spreading the principles of peace, rejecting tendencies of violence, extremism and hatred, and cont ributing to overcoming obstacles that hinder the paths of sustainable development and preserving ecosystems, pointing out that the media and digital media are Effective tools for enhancing trust between governments, individually and collectively, and consolidating the democratization of the right to communication and access to information. He called for making World Press Freedom Day a serious pause to explore a truly free press whose practice, mission, and goals are inspired by the principles and specifications of international and national charters and recognized professional rules, and to work to provide the independence, openness, and pluralism of the Arab media with respect for opinions and other opinions Source: Qatar News Agency