RAMALLAH, March 28, 2012 (WAFA) - The Palestinian Authority (PA) accused Israel of hindering growth of the Palestinian telecommunication sector in clear violation of signed agreements, said a report published earlier this week by the Ministry of Telecommunications.

It said that “contrary to the clear provisions of article 36 of annex III of the interim agreement, Israel restricts Palestine’s access to the electromagnetic sphere by hindering deployment of new technologies, preventing infrastructure construction in the West Bank and Gaza, destroying Palestinian broadcasting infrastructure, limiting the selection of equipment to be imported only when there is a benefit for Israel telecom operators and equipment supply businesses, facilitating Israel’s unauthorized telecom operations in Palestinian areas and intentionally undermining the PA jurisdiction.”

It said that Israel uses the Palestinian-Israeli Joint Technical Committee, which was established to address growing Palestinian needs and challenges, to veto Palestinian telecommunications development.

Furthermore, said the report, Israel has been trying to limit Palestine’s relations with relevant international organizations such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), “where Israel incorrectly claims that Palestine’s relations with the ITU is a violation of the interim agreement,” it said.

The report said that the main principle of the telecom arrangements between the PA and the Government of Israel was to insure Palestinian regulation of the telecommunications sector in the West Bank and Gaza.

“Instead, the Government of Israel has not cooperated or acted as an equal party under the agreements; it has acted unilateral and in violation of the letter and spirit of the agreements,” it said.

“The Government of Israel has vetoed and overruled almost every deployment of new technologies, planning and construction of infrastructure and implementation of internal policies, including the liberalization of the telecom market in the occupied Palestinian territory,” added the report.

“Israel has chosen a policy path to continue with its occupation rather than gradually ending it,” it said.

T.R./M.S.