In cooperation with the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, An-Najah University organized an honoring ceremony for Palestinian journalists in celebration of the World Press Freedom Day on May 3^rd.

The ceremony was held under the auspices of Prof. Rami Hamdallah, President of An-Najah. Attendees included: Dr. Abdel Naser Al-Najjar, Chief of Palestinian Journalists, Mr. Naser Abu Baker, Vice-Chief of Palestinian Journalists, Mr. Ja’far Ishtayyeh, Representative of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate in Nablus, in addition to members of the Syndicate and journalists from the different governorates in the West Bank.

In the opening speech, Prof. Hamdallah congratulated the journalists and welcomed them to the celebration of the World Press Freedom Day which they share with their colleague journalists around the world. He said that celebrating this day indicates the importance of the freedom of speech and the independence of media which is subject to many threats all over the world.

He added that the Palestinian journalists have suffered a lot from the occupation and their career has been subject to many violations and that many of them have been either arrested or killed by the Israelis over the years. This is a true indication of the occupation’s unjust practices against those people who seek to convey the truth to others around the world.

Moreover, he said that the University has recognized the importance of journalism and media in the life of people so much so that it founded an independent faculty of media where students can major in the various fields of media and learn the basics of this profession. It also worked on employing qualified staff to teach and train at this faculty in order to produce highly qualified graduates who can contribute effectively to the development of media in Palestine and the world.

Mr. Abu Baker thanked An-Najah for organizing this ceremony and for honoring the Palestinian journalists which indicate the University’s deep concern with this group of people and the significance of their work. At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Abu Baker presented Prof. Hamdallah with a Shield of Appreciation in recognition of his efforts in service of higher education in Palestine.