Condemnation of Israel’s War on the Free Press – Demand for Accountability and Global Action

Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam Malaysia (Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations) – MAPIM
Space U8 , Eco Mall , Bukit Jelutong , Shah Alam , Selangor Malaysia
azmiabdulhamid58@gmail.com
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OFFICIAL MEDIA STATEMENT

On the Occasion of World Press Freedom Day – May 3, 2025

Condemnation of Israel’s War on the Free Press – Demand for Accountability and Global Action

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations (MAPIM) strongly condemns Israel’s brutal and systematic assault on press freedom and its deliberate targeting of journalists as part of a broader strategy to silence truth and conceal its war crimes in Gaza.

This year’s World Press Freedom Day is marked not with celebration, but with mourning and outrage. The very essence of media freedom is under direct attack, not only by authoritarian regimes, but by a regime long enabled by Western powers—Israel, with full complicity of the United States.

We assert the following:

1. Israel has intentionally targeted journalists in Gaza, killing dozens, bombing media offices, destroying homes of reporters, and forcing shutdowns of independent coverage. This is a war crime and a violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
2. The recent banning and closure of Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel is a blatant attempt to black out independent reporting and erase the truth of the genocide unfolding in Gaza. This is a calculated move to control the narrative and silence resistance media.
3. The United States is complicit—not only through its military aid to Israel, but by shielding it from international accountability. By remaining silent on press killings and media suppression, the U.S. becomes a partner in suppressing truth and upholding apartheid.
4. Western media establishments and social platforms are also guilty of biased censorship, by spreading disinformation, justifying Israeli aggression, and silencing Palestinian voices.
5. The killing of journalists is not collateral—it is policy. The international community must no longer tolerate the impunity with which the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) commit these crimes.

MAPIM demands the following urgent actions:

Immediate cessation of all attacks on journalists and media infrastructure in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Independent international investigations into the killing of journalists by Israeli forces, with prosecution of those responsible in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Full support and protection for Al Jazeera and all independent media reporting truthfully on the Palestinian struggle.

A unified stance by international media bodies to denounce and resist Israel’s suppression of press freedom.

Sanctions and punitive measures against Israel for systematic violations of press freedom and crimes against journalists.

An urgent convening of UN bodies and global press freedom institutions to address the unprecedented assault on the press in conflict zones, with a clear focus on Israel’s role.

Journalism is not a crime. Telling the truth is not terrorism. The targeting of journalists is the targeting of truth itself.

On this World Press Freedom Day, we stand in unwavering solidarity with every journalist who risks their life to tell the world what is happening in Gaza and across Palestine. We honor their sacrifice and demand justice in their name.

Justice for Gaza. Truth must be defended. Israel must be held accountable.

Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid
President, MAPIM
May 3, 2025