The only Christian TV station in the West Bank has been shut down by the Palestinian Authority after 14 years on the air. Al-Mahed “Nativity” TV sits just a stone’s throw from the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, believed by many Christians, Muslims and even Jews to be the site of Jesus’ birth.

As stated on its own website, Al-Mahed’s “Nativity” TV’s mission is “to help in building a Palestinian civil society, based on the principles of freedom, democracy, pluralism, anti-discrimination and equality of all in front of the law.”

According to the station’s general manager Samir Qumsieh, Al-Mahed “Nativity” TV was shut down for not paying additional money for a “license,” despite having operated with great Palestinian support for over a decade. While silencing voices may be par for the course in Hamas-controlled Gaza, this decision by the PA in the West Bank is disturbing and hopefully not a portent of things to come.

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Photo provided by Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License.

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