Voice of Palestine (VOP; Sawt Al-Filastin)

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VOICE OF PALESTINE (VOP; Sawt al-Filastin)

The official radio broadcasting service of the Palestinian Authority (PA), operated by the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) from stations in Ramallah and Gaza. The current operation was created in 1994 with the establishment of the PA. Previously the Palestine Liberation Organization had operated a Voice of Palestine radio service in other Arab countries from facilities made available to it by local governments. It operated in Cairo until 1970, when it was shut down by President Gamal Abdel Nasser; it has also operated from Baghdad and Beirut. Israel has accused the Voice of Palestine of "inciting violence." In 1997 the Israeli government began jamming VOP broadcasts. On 13 December 2001, during the al-Aqsa Intifada, Israel bombed the PBC radio and television transmitter in Ramallah. On 19 January 2002 it blew up the building housing its offices and studios. Both the VOP and the other PBC stations continued to broadcast from borrowed commercial facilities in the West Bank.


SEE ALSO Aqsa Intifada, al-;Nasser, Gamal Abdel;Palestine Liberation Organization;Palestinian Authority;Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation;West Bank.