Pro-Jordan Paper Stops Publication After PLO Ban
A Palestinian newspaper announced Sunday it is closing indefinitely because of a PLO decision to ban its distribution in the self-rule areas of Gaza and Jericho.
Mustafa Sawwaf, a journalist at An Nahar newspaper, said Editor Othman Hallaq froze publication of the newspaper and put staff on unpaid leave until further notice. The paper’s Jerusalem headquarters were locked Sunday.
An Nahar has traditionally been close to Jordan, which last week signed an agreement with Israel that angered the Palestine Liberation Organization. Founded in 1985, An Nahar is one of the two daily newspapers serving Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Authority banned circulation of the newspaper in Gaza and Jericho on Thursday, saying it had failed to register with the new self-rule authorities. But Palestinian journalists said no registration process had been initiated in the two months since self-rule began.
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