Cameraman who criticized PA fired from Associated Press
Eyad Hamad, a veteran Palestinian cameraman, received threats from PA security officials who told him that they would see to it that he gets fired from AP.
By KHALED ABU TOAMEHPalestinian cameraman Eyad Hamad, who was fired from the Associated Press after the Palestinian Authority filed a "complaint" against him.(photo credit: Courtesy)
Eyad Hamad, a veteran Palestinian cameraman, said he was fired from the Associated Press after the Palestinian Authority filed a “complaint” against him.Hamad, 63, a resident of Bethlehem, told The Jerusalem Post that the complaint was filed against him because he had criticized the Palestinian security forces for arresting and beating a Palestinian journalist.Hamad and several Palestinian journalists expressed outrage over the AP decision.The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate issued a statement in which it condemned the “arbitrary dismissal” of the cameraman. The syndicate called on AP to revoke its “unfair and unjust decision.”“I have been working for AP for 20 years,” he said. “I covered many events in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and a number of Arab countries. The decision came as a surprise to me and my colleagues.”Hamad said he believed the decision to fire him came after he and several Palestinian journalists launched a campaign to demand the release of Anas Hawwari, a Palestinian journalist recently arrested by the PA security forces.Because of the campaign, Hamad said, he received threats from PA security officials who told him that they would see to it that he gets fired from AP.Last week, Hamad and several Palestinian journalists demonstrated in Bethlehem to protest against the threats by the PA security officials. During the protest, Hamad held a sign reading: “President Mahmoud Abbas, I demand protection from the [Palestinian] security agencies.”Several Palestinian journalists took to various social media platforms to express solidarity with Hamad. “Eyad Hamad is paying the price for defending Palestinian journalists against the repressive measures of the Palestinian Authority,” wrote one journalist.A senior PA security official told the Post that he was unaware of any complaint lodged with AP against Hamad.Joe Federman, AP Bureau Chief for Israel and the Palestinian Territories, refused to comment on the issue. “We don’t comment on personnel matters,” he told the Post.
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