Israel shuts Palestinian radio station for incitement to terrorism

Jerusalem Aug 31 (IANS) Israeli forces shut down a Palestinian radio station in the West Bank on Thursday over charges of "incitement to terrorism".

A military statement said that troops raided the al-Huriya (Freedom) radio station in the West Bank city of Hebron after it allegedly broadcast a song about a knife attack a Palestinian carried out in the Israeli settlement of Halamish in July reports Xinhua news agency.

The traditional Bedouin-style song was performed during a wedding with improvised lyrics saying "they said the (Israeli) army has all the power (but) he burned Halamish you bunch of settlers ... we just want to live".

The singer Mouhamad Barghouthi and some of his band members were arrested.

"The station broadcast inciting content encouraging terror activities on a regular basis " the statement said.

Israel s Channel 10 TV news quoted the director of the radio station Ayman Kawasmeh as saying that it was not the first time that Israel had closed the station but this time it was carried out in a "barbaric way".

--IANS
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