Britannia Radio

November 3, 2010

Towards Palestinian Statehood An introduction As Hussein Ibish, a senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine, wrote in the foreword to Just Journalism's Special Report, Salam Fayyad and the drive towards Palestinian statehood: A comparison of British and US media coverage, What is happening on the ground in the West Bank, initiated by and for Palestinians themselves and designed to both complement negotiations and bring the day of independence forward, deserves more attention than it's received anywhere in the world thus far. It certainly deserves more attention than it appears to have received in the UK. Among the more noteworthy developments of the Palestinian Prime Minister's two-year state- and institution-building programme is a West Bank economy that grew by 8.5% in 2009, a vibrant and expanding real estate market in and around Ramallah where housing prices are becoming competitive with Tel Aviv's, the groundbreaking of Palestine's first planned city of Rawabi, the introduction of the first Palestinian mortgage fund, and recent grand opening of a five-star hotel. Moreover, massive improvements in Palestinian security and law-enforcement have meant that Israel has dismantled hundreds of roadblocks and checkpoints. Coordination between the PA and Israel on security measures is at an unprecedentedly high level. Senior IDF officials have recently been hosted in Jenin, Tulkaram and Jericho. Just Journalism Executive Director Michael Weiss has taken a keen interest in this subject having interviewed Fayyad for 2009 profile in Tablet Magazine and written several follow-up features that examined the step-by-step successes and setbacks of his ambitious programme. Now that Fayyad's project is entering its second year, Just Journalism has launchedTowards Palestinian Statehood, a digital clearinghouse of information -- news articles, op-eds, bulletins and statistics -- to better inform journalists and editors across all media platforms about one the most newsworthy stories in today's Middle East... Read more >> Five-star hotel opens in Ramallah On 1 November, The Guardian's Harriet Sherwood reported on the new five-star Mövenpick hotel due to open officially next week in Ramallah. A sign of bolstered investor confidence in the West Bank as well as an improved economic reality in the de facto Palestinian capital, the Mövenpick Ramallah, according to Sherwood boasts five restaurants and bars, 171 rooms including two presidential suites, a range of luxury banqueting and conference facilities, a heated outdoor pool, a gym and - eventually - a spa. The luxury Swiss hotel was originally due to establish itself in the de facto Palestinian capital in the midst of the second intifada and its construction was delayed for almost a decade. Sherwood quotes Mövenpick communications manager Katreena Khalil: "Ten years ago, the situation was very different... But Ramallah has been stable for a while. It's safe, secure and investors are coming fast. We're optimistic." Media Analysis Islamic extremism ignored in coverage of Iraqi church attack Following a violent take-over of an Iraqi church in Baghdad by Islamic militants on Sunday, all of the broadsheets and the BBC News website gave prominent coverage to the resulting hostage situation and stand-off between the militants and Iraqi security forces. The targeting of the church by radical Islamists is part of a wider trend of hostility towards Christian minorities in the Muslim majority Middle East. However, across the coverage there was a noticeable lack of discussion about this, with only the Financial Times explicitly stating that Christians were being attacked by Islamic extremists. None of the articles linked the story to the wider plight of Christians in the region... Read more >> Special Event and invite you to a panel discussion on 'How to Stop the De-legitimisation of Israel' sponsored by Click here for more information. Donate Just Journalism is an independent research organisation focused on how Israel and Middle East issues are reported in the UK media. We produce analysis of print, broadcast and online media and regularly publish research on trends in the media's coverage. We are a not-for-profit company that relies solely on the donations of its supporters. You can donate easily online via PayPal by clicking the button below. For alternate methods of donating such as cheque or wire transfer, please email donate@justjournalism.com.