PA minister says Palestine 48 TV station is ‘completely legal’

Palestinian Authority Communications Minister Riad Hassan says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to close the Palestine 48 TV channel, because Israel fears the existence of media outlets that will present to Israeli Arabs the deliberate discrimination from which they suffer.

According to Ynet, Hassan claims the station will not be a political channel, but a tool for realizing the freedom of expression of the residents. He adds that even though Netanyahu’s wish is to be expected, no one will be able to close the channel.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu instructed the Communications Ministry — which he heads as the acting minister — to examine the legality of the station, which only this week announced its launch.

The station is scheduled to go live today, the first day of Ramadan.