The status of freedom of expression in the Palestinian society under the shadow of foreign political foundations

Freedom of expression is a value that human beings are incessantly calling for. There have been restive times that enormous figures of people in the world over have passed through defending this value and discarded dilemmas coming out of realms where freedom of expression is decayed given to erroneous practices to this value as well, even many have lost their lives while in the mid of a fierce battle with the violators of freedom of expression. Those could be totalitarian regimes or insurrectionist groups that act for certain agenda pushes them to plunge into the swamps where freedom of expression is violated.

By this token, the world has witnessed excruciating experiences of peoples fought relentless battles in order to grip their rights to express themselves freely under sometimes regimes apply an iron fist approach over their peoples which has been as a eroding this value from its nobility.

There is what substantiates this argument, which worth an indomitable struggle at the international arena represented by its main players who emphasize the right of freedom of expression is unalienable as stipulated in their covenants. Therefore, almost all countries have items in their constitutions and formal decrees ensure this right though many people still reluctantly and even barely express themselves where the media outlets are restrained due to dictations imposed upon them by rulers ignoring what enshrined in their constitutions.

Furthermore, this value reflects the spirit of peoples toward experiencing their various orientations accompanied by their needs to ask their rulers to dignify their life, to express their attitudes when they flare up against power abuse and hold the abusers accountable.

On the ground, there are many remarkable instances about the freedom of expression that might be refining our perception of how the freedom how it's being experienced in different societies. Therefore, taking a look at the Palestinian society where it’s incumbent upon us to keep in mind that this value is a double-edged sword due to the critical political situation either internally or externally including the Israeli side, and the pressure of the International Community through human rights organizations that monitor the status of freedoms.

Similarly to other countries, the freedom of expression is one of the main tenets enshrined in the Palestinian charter and the political discourse of the Palestinian leadership is tailored by a way refers that the freedom of expression is inalienable right ensured for every citizen. However, what has been going on in reality proves the opposite at both geographically separated areas the West Bank and the Gaza Strip where freedom journalism for instance especially the investigative one is a policy-oriented doesn’t have an absolute freedom in terms of criticizing government’s practices.

This right actually is literally practiced in various forms like women issue where women have become more impulsively able to create assemblies, and people with disabilities as well could speak out expressly for a society where egalitarianism is prevailed. However, obviously, their discourses keep off politics in most often.

Delving profoundly into this theme, we find out that this basic right isn’t suspended without tireless claimants and defenders who document any encroachment on the freedom of expression or other related rights although the reality indicates that this right is dwindling, and we can capture the fact that this right is still maintained through strenuous efforts being exerted by many local foreign players from different countries like Germany who monitor this within the Palestinian society.

These players are dedicated acting in many fields like political education which is one of the missions that the German political foundations working on. There are six German political foundations acting multilaterally in the Palestinian side aim at tackling and supporting the society through the engagement with the local operative partners reflect the Palestinian political and social landscape, whom these foundations polarize to embrace their vital voices in useful activities. The most outstanding German actors that have been vanguard in highlighting freedom issues, are Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Friedrich-Naummen Foundation for freedom.

Undoubtedly, the freedom of expression here isn’t stagnant, but can rely on actors who are from different backgrounds either culturally or politically. The new experiences that the politicians and civil society activists in the Palestinian mainstream are exposed to, leads to a conceivable scene where the thoughts are being sharpened galvanizing the conception of how the freedom of experience right is being applied and regulated in a society like German which has proven a wide-scale success according to the international standard.

Many queries are flying over our heads; how are these German political foundations contribute to patch up the freedom of expression in the Palestinian society? Are they making change?

The aforementioned political foundations play as non-state actors and represent conduits show the target groups the mechanisms that must be applied to build up spotless background of how to practice this right, and introduce them to the German successful experience which generates eagerness to follow it up.

At the first glance, we think that these foundations urge the general public to ramp up their efforts to confront with the ruling authority that might end up in violent confrontation as a result of demanding this right. On the contrary, these foundations don’t implement instigating or interference strategies; it’s all about flourishing the target groups by the necessary knowledge and embracing creative ideas that stir up their motivations to get them into circles where they can capture certain political and social issues that essentially constitute pillars for healthy society where the followers have democratic tools to have a dialogue either with the ruling authority or among differing conflicting groups.

A political foundation like Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) which is closely associated with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is a well-versed think-tank aims at analyzing the political situations worldwide and intellectually supporting the gifted pioneers through civic education at different social and political levels to improve their reality according to their own trends. Basically, it transfers the values of the Christian Democratic based on the promotion of freedom, liberty, peace and justice. It deals with a complicated realm in the Palestinian Territories where it handles a situation in which the freedom of expression is affected by kind of spoilage on one hand, and from the Israeli occupation on the other hand through educational channels.