Out of Control: Palestinian News Satire and Government Power in the Age of Social Media

Abstract

This article analyzes the Palestinian sketch comedy show Watan Ala Watar, placing the groundbreaking program in the context of theories of satire, government control, and popular resistance. Detailing the show's tumultuous relationship with the Palestinian Authority, the article argues that despite publicly supporting Watan Ala Watar so as to create the impression of a liberal media regime, the government ultimately could not accept the existence of uncensored political comedy. However, the article shows that through the use of new media, the program has continued to have an impact despite the government's refusal to put it on air.

Notes

¹Goldman's original statement, “If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal,” is undocumented and attributed to others as well.

²English translations of the show's title vary heavily, with Country on a String being the most prevalent. However, I believe “hanging by a thread” better conveys the original meaning.

³I use this term to describe the West Bank and Gaza Strip, both under Israeli military control but having been given over to limited Palestinian Authority after the Oslo Accords of 1993. Watan Ala Watar has been produced exclusively in the West Bank, as Gaza has been under the political control of the opposition Hamas party since 2007 and therefore cut off from the West Bank in most ways.