The entire editorial team of the German government-funded Middle East-focused website Qantara have resigned after a restructuring left them “unable to guarantee editorial independence”, with suggestions of a political motivation for the change and dishonesty by the Foreign Office and amid a crackdown on pro-Palestine voices in the wake of the Israeli war in Gaza.
“The editorial team responsible for this internationally renowned, unique and multilingual online magazine announced its resignation a few months ago. We would like to thank all our readers for their loyalty and critical support over the past 16 years and wish you all the best,” a statement on the website reads.
But editorial sources in Qantara.de told The New Arab on condition of anonymity the move is related to their fears over compromised editorial independence.
“We resigned together because we came to the conclusion that our independent critical journalism could not continue under IFA, because it is almost completely dependent on the Foreign Office” the sources told The New Arab.
“We asked questions but there was no justification given.” ….more
