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Weekly Update 23 - 29 December  

You Can See What is Happening in Palestine (English) 

Mondoweiss

The power of video journalism is undeniable, especially when it comes to Palestine. Mainstream coverage is so infrequent and biassed. Mondoweiss’s videos are one of the few direct sources audiences have. In a time when Israel is increasingly restricting people’s ability to visit Palestine, showing people what is happening on the ground is more important than ever. That’s why in 2023, we are putting more effort into expanding our video production. You can read about apartheid and occupation, but seeing it with your own eyes, even through a screen, can be transformative.

Under-fire Palestinian Journalist Said Arikat banned from Twitter without Explanation (English) 

Middle East Eye 

When Elon Musk suspended the Twitter accounts of several prominent American journalists earlier this month, the UN, EU, United States and several European governments weighed in on the matter, describing it as a threat to freedom of expression. Reactions to the permanent suspension of the veteran Palestinian journalist Said Arikat, perhaps unsurprisingly, have been somewhat more muted. Arikat, who served as UN spokesman in Iraq from 2005 to 2010, has been a familiar presence at the US State Department press briefings in Washington for almost 20 years. As the Washington bureau chief for Al-Quds, one of the most-read Palestinian daily newspapers, he has constantly highlighted the Israeli occupation and the plight of the Palestinians in the US capital.  

Meta Launches Digital Program in Palestine to Protect Students Online (English)

Arab News 

Meta on Wednesday announced the launch of its online literacy flagship program, My Digital World, in Palestine.

The program will be implemented in partnership with the Center for Continuing Education at Birzeit University and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East.

My Digital World provides youth with the skills to navigate digital spaces safely and responsibly, while benefiting from the resources offered by an increasingly digital world.

Mohammad Salameh, deputy chief of the UNRWA education program, said that students will be taught to maintain their digital security on one hand and develop competencies that “help them interact with their surroundings positively” on the other.

Meta’s partnership with the Birzeit University Center for Continuing Education builds on the center’s expertise in introducing interactive learning approaches to schools across the West Bank.