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| Type | Daily Newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Online newspaper |
| Owner | Sameh Habeeb |
| Editor-in-chief | Sameh Habeeb |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Political alignment | Independent |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Gaza Strip,Palestine |
The Palestine Telegraph (Arabic:التلغراف الفلسطيني) was the firstonline newspaper based in theGaza Strip,Palestine. Its staff is composed ofPalestinians and international volunteers, both professional journalists and "citizen journalists who do not take assignments from editors or paychecks from corporate controlled media."[1]
Sameh Habeeb, the founder of the newspaper, was then a Gaza resident and photojournalist.[2][3] The aim, according to Habeeb, is to disseminate, "the voices of the People of Palestine, theMiddle East and otherindigenous people around the world."[2]
The newspaper began as a blog operated by 23-year-old Habeeb, which was based in the Gaza Strip throughout the three-weekGaza War in the winter of 2008-2009.[citation needed]
The premiere edition of the electronic newspaper format under the nameThe Palestine Telegraph came out on March 11, 2009.[4] The newspaper is anon-profit venture that relies on donor contributions for its operations. Habeeb sits on the Board of Directors as the Chair and Founder and serves as the Editor-in-chief.[citation needed]
In February 2010, the newspaper generated controversy when it published an article which claimed that anIsrael Defense Forces emergency aid hospital inHaiti (after the2010 Haiti earthquake) was secretlyharvesting organs and selling them on theblack market.[5] The article, written by American blogger[6] Stephen Lendman, cited a video broadcast onHezbollah'sAl-Manar television, which consisted of a warning from an individual named "T West" who claimed to represent the groupAfriSynergy, but cited no evidence. In response, founding chairman Sameh Habeeb stated that Lendman’s article represents "him and his views. Some people believe in this and some don’t".[7][8]
In the aftermath,Baroness Tonge, at this time a patron ofThe Palestine Telegraph, had to stand down as health spokesperson in theHouse of Lords on February 12, 2010.[6][9][10][11] In a follow-up article byThe Jerusalem Post on February 14, 2010, which denounced the claim of organ harvesting as false, Baroness Tonge called the claim "a silly allegation".[6]
Baroness Tonge resigned from the Board of Patrons in April 2010, afterThe Palestine Telegraph posted a video — since removed — fromDavid Duke, former leader of theKu Klux Klan, who claimed Israel presented a terrorism threat to the United States.[12]