The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) commemorated the centenary of its founding by unveiling a memorial for martyred journalists, amidst a significant international and union presence. This event took place on Wednesday 29 May behind the Istiqlal Garden in Al-Bireh city, attended by officials, a large number of ambassadors and diplomats, representatives from UNESCO, and a large crowd of Palestinian journalists.
Abu Yousef conveyed the greetings of President Mahmoud Abbas, saying: "The blood of the martyrs and journalists will remain the fuel and guidance for our people's struggle and fight for our freedom, independence, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees."
In his speech, the president of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), Nasser Abu Bakr, said, "In the name of Palestine and journalists, the Journalists Syndicate, and the martyrs whose blood has paved the homeland, Palestine today witnesses a historic event that embodies a century-long journey of building, giving, and sacrifice, a path of suffering that has been documented by generations of journalists who have carried the flag of Palestine from generation to generation for all Palestinians."
He added, "Today we commemorate the centenary of the founding of the first Journalists Syndicate, which was established in Jerusalem on June 8, 1924, raised by the founding generation of Issa Al-Bandak and Abdullah Al-Qalqeely under the name of the Arab Press Syndicate in Palestine, with its second conference held in November 1927 in the city of Jaffa, the capital of culture and literature at that time."
He continued, "The Journalists Syndicate has lost thousands of martyrs since 1967, through ongoing massacres and a war targeting the narrative of truth and preventing it. More than 10,000 documented attacks and crimes by the Committee of Freedoms in the Journalists Syndicate, with an average of three continuous daily crimes, especially in the Gaza Strip."
He affirmed that the crimes of the occupation against journalists in Gaza, the West Bank, including Jerusalem and the 1948 territories, will only increase our determination to convey the truth with all professionalism.
He also emphasized that the Journalists Syndicate will remain the faithful defender of press freedom and the protection of journalists' rights and its principles of plurality and democracy in an exemplary manner.
For his part, the representative of the International Federation of Journalists, Jim Boumelha, called for the continued work of Palestinian journalists and the protection of journalists working in Palestine due to the violations they face from the crimes of the Israeli occupation.
Boumelha declared: "Every time a journalist is killed, we lose a part of the truth," calling for the killers of martyred journalists to be held accountable and brought to justice before the world.
He called for avoiding a repetition of what happened in Rwanda in Gaza and that the international system should not only be concerned with powerful countries but also provide protection to the most vulnerable countries in the world.
He noted that UNESCO had decided to award a full prize to journalists in the Gaza Strip on World Press Freedom Day, and it was handed over to the head of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Nasser Abu Bakr, in Chile a few weeks ago.
For his part, poet Murad Sudani, speaking on behalf of Palestinian unions and federations, said that 100 years of wounds and pain have passed over Palestine, crowned by the efforts of journalists and writers who were always on the front lines, writing and documenting the journey of Palestine that does not retreat or break.
In conclusion, the president of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Nasser Abu Bakr, received the "Courage Award" granted by the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency on behalf of Palestinian journalists, especially journalists in Gaza.