RAMALLAH, September 4, 2011 (WAFA) – A group of journalists, politicians and intellectuals Sunday demanded in a protest outside Ofer military and detention camp near Ramallah the immediate release of four journalists held in Israeli jails.

The demonstration, which was organized by The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) and Al-Jazeera, protested the Israeli occupation assault on the freedom of speech.

The Israeli occupation forces tried to break the protest and disperse the protestors.

The PJS condemned the arbitrary measures carried out against Al-Jazeera's Kabul bureau chief, Samer Allawi, Al-Quds TV program coordinator, Nawaf Al-Amer, Mohammad Bsharat, reporter for Shehab news agency, and Amer Abu Arafeh.

PJS head, Abdul Nasser al-Najjar, said that these arrests aim to silence the Palestinian media.

He said that 65 cases of Israeli measures against journalists were documented last month.

Walid Al-Omari, bureau chief of Al-Jazeera office in the Palestinian Territory, said that arresting and persecuting journalists are unacceptable.

Head of Palestinian’s Prisoner's Club, Qadura Fares, said that the Israeli occupation targets all that expresses a contradictory stance to its racial measures.

Fatah Central Committee member Tawfiq Tirawi said that with its arbitrary policy, Israel increases determination to resist the occupation, stressing that no one can stand up against freedom of speech.

Leader of the National Initiative Party, Mustafa Barghouti, called on the entire world to stand by the freedom of speech and expression and to intervene in order to release the detained journalists.

M.G./M.A.