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Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10526/palestinians-failed-leadership
The Palestinians' Real Tragedy: Failed Leadership
(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - Under the regimes of the PA and Hamas, Palestinians are free to criticize Israel and incite against it. But when it comes to criticizing the leaders of the PA and Hamas, the rules are different. Such criticism is considered a "crime" and those responsible often find themselves behind bars or subjected to other forms of punishment. This is not what the majority of Palestinians were expecting after the signing of the Oslo Accords and the establishment of the PA more than 20 years ago. Palestinians were hoping to see democracy and freedom of speech. However, the PA, first under Yasser Arafat and later under Mahmoud Abbas, has proven to be not much different than most of the Arab dictatorships, where freedom of expression is non-existent. The Palestinians in the PA-controlled West Bank and Hamas' Gaza can only look at their neighbors in Israel and envy them for the democracy, free media and rule of law. Palestinian media in the West Bank serves as a mouthpiece for PA leaders and refrains from reporting any story that may reflect negatively on Abbas or his cronies. In Gaza, criticism of Hamas is almost unheard of and could land those responsible in prison. Even posting critical or controversial postings on social media is considered a serious offense under the PA and Hamas. In the past few years, dozens of Palestinian journalists, bloggers, academics and political activists have been imprisoned or summoned for interrogation by the PA and Hamas over their Facebook postings. International human rights organizations prefer to look the other way in the face of these human rights violations by the PA and Hamas. Moreover, "pro-Palestinian" activists in the West do not seem to care. The only wrongdoing they see is on the Israeli side. By ignoring the plight of the suppressed Palestinians, these "pro-Palestinian" activists are actually aiding the PA and Hamas in their efforts to silence the voices of dissent and criticism.