PALESTINIAN MEDIA AND OFFICIALS SAY ABBAS’S OWN FATAH KILLED ‘SETTLERS’
Harold's List
BY MICHAEL WIDLANSKI
Voice of Palestine Radio, the official voice of Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, declared Sunday night that both of today’s attacks on Israelis were carried out by members of the Fatah organization headed by PLO leader Abbas.
At least three people were murdered and another five wounded—including women and children-- in the two drive-by shooting attacks that took place within minutes of one another: one on a group of civilians at a bus-stop south of Bethlehem, the other on the road between Jerusalem and Nablus.
“Both armed attacks were carried out by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades which are part of the Fatah Movement,” asserted Voice of Palestine, which, along with the other Palestinian media stressed that the attacks were on “mustawtaneen”—the Arabic word for settlers.
The murders were not condemned by the official Palestinian media or any Palestinian officials who have generally called such previous attacks on “settlers” a legitimate form “resistance” to occupation.
Dr. Abbas and his aides also did not condemn the kidnap murder three weeks ago of a Jerusalem man, Sasson Nuriel, who was tortured by Palestinian terrorists from the Hamas organization and then made to read a “confession” that was filmed and distributed on Hamas websites.
The attacks have occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which is often a time set aside not only for penitence but also for jihad, holy war.
Indeed, official Mosque addresses as well television and radio shows during recent weeks have been depicting Israelis and Americans as murderers and as victimizers of Muslims, highlighting the need for more “resistance” [muqawwama], “fighting” [kifaah] and “active struggle” [nidaal].
Palestinian leaders have repeatedly promised to curb violence and curtail incitement to violence, but since Dr. Abbas came to power as PLO chairman last December, there has been a general continuation of anti-Israeli and anti-Western propaganda as under the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Although Abbas has removed some “martyr videos,” government-controlled newspaper cartoons and television montage films habitually depict Israelis and Americans as sadists.
A cartoon in the Al-Quds newspaper this month shows America turning the Arab world into a human slab of beef with a US government stamp, while staged “documentary films” show Israeli jailers torturing Palestinian prisoners or Israeli soldiers gloating while killing Palestinian women and children.
Dr. Michael Widlanski is a specialist in Arab politics and communication whose doctorate dealt with the Palestinian broadcast media. He is a former reporter, correspondent and editor, respectively, at The New York Times, The Cox Newspapers-Atlanta Constitution, and The Jerusalem Post. He has also served as a special advisor to Israeli delegations to peace talks in 1991-1992 and as Strategic Affairs Advisor to the Ministry of Public Security, editing secret PLO Archives captured in Jerusalem.
BY MICHAEL WIDLANSKI
Voice of Palestine Radio, the official voice of Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, declared Sunday night that both of today’s attacks on Israelis were carried out by members of the Fatah organization headed by PLO leader Abbas.
At least three people were murdered and another five wounded—including women and children-- in the two drive-by shooting attacks that took place within minutes of one another: one on a group of civilians at a bus-stop south of Bethlehem, the other on the road between Jerusalem and Nablus.
“Both armed attacks were carried out by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades which are part of the Fatah Movement,” asserted Voice of Palestine, which, along with the other Palestinian media stressed that the attacks were on “mustawtaneen”—the Arabic word for settlers.
The murders were not condemned by the official Palestinian media or any Palestinian officials who have generally called such previous attacks on “settlers” a legitimate form “resistance” to occupation.
Dr. Abbas and his aides also did not condemn the kidnap murder three weeks ago of a Jerusalem man, Sasson Nuriel, who was tortured by Palestinian terrorists from the Hamas organization and then made to read a “confession” that was filmed and distributed on Hamas websites.
The attacks have occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which is often a time set aside not only for penitence but also for jihad, holy war.
Indeed, official Mosque addresses as well television and radio shows during recent weeks have been depicting Israelis and Americans as murderers and as victimizers of Muslims, highlighting the need for more “resistance” [muqawwama], “fighting” [kifaah] and “active struggle” [nidaal].
Palestinian leaders have repeatedly promised to curb violence and curtail incitement to violence, but since Dr. Abbas came to power as PLO chairman last December, there has been a general continuation of anti-Israeli and anti-Western propaganda as under the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Although Abbas has removed some “martyr videos,” government-controlled newspaper cartoons and television montage films habitually depict Israelis and Americans as sadists.
A cartoon in the Al-Quds newspaper this month shows America turning the Arab world into a human slab of beef with a US government stamp, while staged “documentary films” show Israeli jailers torturing Palestinian prisoners or Israeli soldiers gloating while killing Palestinian women and children.
Dr. Michael Widlanski is a specialist in Arab politics and communication whose doctorate dealt with the Palestinian broadcast media. He is a former reporter, correspondent and editor, respectively, at The New York Times, The Cox Newspapers-Atlanta Constitution, and The Jerusalem Post. He has also served as a special advisor to Israeli delegations to peace talks in 1991-1992 and as Strategic Affairs Advisor to the Ministry of Public Security, editing secret PLO Archives captured in Jerusalem.
posted by Marko at 10/16/2005 10:09:00 PM
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