Israel Resource Review |
7th June, 2005 |
Contents:
Review of Today's PA Media:
Abbas Charges Israel With War
Crimes
Dr. Michael Widlanski
From Palestinian Authority Radio (The Voice of Palestine):
PA Prime Minister Ahmad Qreia (nicknamed Abu Ala) condemned in the
strongest terms the resumption of the Israeli policy of assassinations
(V.O.P. radio, 4 p.m.-Jerusalem Time), and accused Israel of war crimes.
Meanwhile, Qreia and the Palestinian broadcast media apparently made no
condemnation or comment concerning the rocket attacks earlier in the
day (Tuesday) on the town of Sderot, though they did mention that two
people were killed and several wounded by a Palestinian mortar attack [which
turned out to be a short-range Qassam rocket] on the Israeli settlement
of Ganei Tal inside Gaza.
"This is a grave war crime", V.O.P. radio quoted Qreia, who added, "this
endangers the tahdiyya" a reference to the on-again-off-again
Palestinian "cooling-off period" of not attacking Israelis.
Qreia was responding to an Israeli attack on a house in Qabatya where
several armed operatives of the Islamic Jihad were holed up, and in
which to armed were killed [Note: Israel says that the Islamic Jihad in the
northern part of the West Bank is continuing the planning and execution
of terror attacks, including the February bombing in Tel Aviv and the
abortive human bombing in Jerusalem last week. See also bottom radio item
below].
V.O.P. identified the dead men as Murawah Kmeil and Nasser Abdel-Rahim
Zakarna, and it pronounced them "martyrs".
Earlier in the day, Chief Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiator
Saeb Arikat said the Palestinians rejected Ariel Sharon's comment that
Jerusalem would remain "Israeli property" [mulk israli] under a
permanent settlement.
Voice of Palestine radio interviewed Arikat in the morning and quoted
him at length in its Tuesday morning (June 7) and afternoon broadcasts.
V.O.P. radio noted with approval that the US Department had opposed new
Israeli settlement activities and expansions, citing comments by David
Welch.
PA Civilian Affairs Minister Muhammad Dahlan charged Israel with being
phony and insincere in its preparations for the Gaza withdrawal during
meetings last night that were quoted today on V.O.P. radio.
The official PA radio station also featured an interview with PA
Minister Ghassan al-Khatib charging Israel with forging maps and documents
regarding the map determinants of the Gaza Strip, in order to keep some settlers in Gaza.
There was no mention during the V.O.P. morning broadcasts of the four
rocket attacks on Sderot inside Israel in the V.O.P. reports, but the mid-day
reports cited "three martyrs" in fighting in Rafah and in Qabatya near Jenin.
PBC Television
In its morning reports, PBC led with a re-run of yesterday's afternoon
news showing PA Prime Minister Ahmad Qreia (Abu Ala) accusing Israel of
invading the Temple Mount, during a PA cabinet meeting.
Prime Minister Ahmad Qreia asserted that the attempt by Israel to
invade Jerusalem [Arabic: beit al-maqdas] was fraught with danger, the report reiterated.
PBC television then moved to PLO Chairman Abbas's comments on the
issue.
"President Abbas demanded that Israel to stop its dangerous violations
of the Al Aqsa Mosque led by Jewish extremists acting under the protection
of the Israeli police".
Abbas was shown checking the matriculation exam papers of Palestinian
students and making comments to a crowd outside a school: "It is
incumbent on Israel and the international community to put a stop to these
dangerous violations", Abbas said.
From Palestinian newspapers:
Al-Quds (lead item): CONFRONTATIONS IN AL-AQSA COURTYARD BETWEEN THE
WORSHIPERS AND THE POLICE FOLLOWING PERMISSION GIVEN TO JEWISH
EXTREMISTS TO ENTER THE JERUSALEM SHRINE [top of page picture
showing Israeli forces using tear gas]. Lower down on front
page: Pres. Abbas and PM Qreia Warn of Dangerous Attempts to
Invade Al-Aqsa and to Destroy Homes in Silwan
Al-Ayyam: ANGRY MASSES PROTECT JERUSALEM SHRINE, CHASING JEWISH
GROUPS FROM ITS COURTYARD: ON DAY OF JUDAIZATION OF JERUSALEM
UNDER THE OCCUPATION
Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda: NEW TERROR ATTEMPT TO INVADE AL-AQSA ENDS IN
FAILURE [shows tear gas picture similar to Al-Quds]
Al-Hayat cartoon shows Sharon as papa-duck followed by George Bush
chickadee in pond:
www.alhayat-j.com/char.php?cid=98
Report compiled by Michael Widlanski Associates.
Commissioned by the Center for Near East Policy Research.
[Permission to quote or reprint from article conditional on citing
Michael Widlanski or Michael Widlanski Associates.]
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.
Printer
friendly version of this article
Return to Contents
David Bronfman Contributes to
the Anti-Disengagement Forces:
"Ethnic cleansing is deplorable to
the rest of the world world, but here, it seems
acceptable"
Daphna Berman
Correspondent, HaAretz
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/585575.html
David Bronfman, a member of the famed philanthropic
Canadian Jewish family, announced yesterday a $100,000
contribution toward the struggle against the
disengagement plan.
|