Israel Resource Review |
6th November, 2000 |
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Official PA Radio News - the PBC Radio November 6 -AM
Quotes of the Day
"There will be no peace, no security and no stability in the Middle East
until the Israelis end their occupation."
(Taib Abdel-Rahim, PA Presidential secretary [one of Arafat's top advisors]
7:00 a.m. headline and Morning Spotlight.
Note: this quotation was given by
VOP announcers, not in Abdel-Rahim's voice. Spotlight quotes [see below] are
in his voice.)
"We threw the Israelis out of Lebanon, and we will throw them out of
Hebron."
(Yousef al-Kazzaz,senior VOP commentator, during morning commentary, 8:35
a.m., Nov. 6)
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Summary and Analysis -- November 6, 2000
VOP's news shows are concentrating on reports of heavy fighting
(according to VOP) in Tulkarm, Beit Sahur, Hebron and Bethlehem, among other
locations. The descriptions from field reporters are graphic, bordering on
the hysterical (especially Salim Abu Salih in Hebron) including phrases
such as "as dum-dum bullets pierced the six-year-old's chest" and "using
chemical weapons on women and children."
VOP also featured claims by Fathi Arafat, head of the Palestinian Red
Crescent (and Yasser Arafat's brother) that Israel is trying to destroy the
Red Crescent physically and organizationally.(Israel has charged that Red
Crescent ambulances have been used to move Palestinian fighters and their
ammunition.) VOP is also featuring prominently reports of Israeli forces
entering hospitals, attacking ambulances and preventing health care to needy
Palestinians.
VOP interviews and the daily commentary suggest that Yasser Arafat is
going to Washington with a sense of confidence that he can make Bill
Clinton (fearful of regional instability following another
Palestinian-Israeli clash) force Israel to make far-reaching concessions
[see below].
VOP Commentary with Analysis
"A Palestinian-American summit this Thursday in Washington between the
two presidents-President Yasser Arafat and President Bill Clinton.
"Whatever the results of the American elections, His Excellency
President Arafat is carrying with him among his papers a small portfolio
with strong contents and mailing address: the Palestinian people through its
elected leadership is committed to consummating the (current) emergency with
complete freedom and Palestinian legitimacy for which it has resolved with
the necessary political power from the sons of our Palestinian people-both
as a stance and as a national decision-a Palestinian state with holy
Jerusalem as its capital.
"The Israeli settlements will not remain on Palestinian soil because
they are a minefield for peace process, killing Palestinian citizens and
destroying Palestinian land.
"Therefore our Palestinian people have undertaken-both to the American
side and to the Israeli side-that these two sides' leaderships will be
strong enough to choose a peace that is based on international legitimacy,
resolutions 242 and 338.
"We recall that the American Republican Party, under the leadership of
former president George Bush, reinforced the terrorist Shamir in toughening
conditions for the Madrid Conference.
"But the American Democratic Party is too weak to force Israel to keep
its obligations and conditions based on international legitimacy and the
Madrid Conference.
"The Israelis themselves-specifically Uri Savir-say that Barak's heart
is with the Israeli Right, linked by love to Israeli settlement.
"And O Ye Israeli women and mothers, we have started-in the women's
movement -- taking out the settlements. We have raised the slogan: We have
taken our soldiers out of Lebanon and we will take them out of Hebron,
ending the prohibited killing of Palestinian children.
"We say, we Palestinians, that if the Israelis want to live as a people,
a tranquil life, then they must force their leadership to withdraw from the
occupied Palestinian lands-first of all Holy Jerusalem occupied in '67. And
they must also force the settlements to pull out of Palestinian lands and
into the Green Line or into any other place in this world.
"And we say to the Americans-no matter who their president is: Israel
will not remain the guardian of American interests God Willing, if it
continues its occupation of Palestinian soil, if it continues its settlement
and its Judaization (of the land).
"Palestinian blood will defeat occupation, settlement and Judaization
and siege and bullets and tanks and missiles.
"Let the Americans and Israelis remember that Iranian people defeated the
largest army in the world at the time-- the army of the Shah of Iran
in 1979."
Analysis
The comments of Taib Abdel-Rahim and Youssef al-Kazzaz underscore the
confident-even threatening- and somewhat anti-American tone of Palestinian
Authority officials on the eve of the Washington summit. VOP has compared
Palestinian Intifadists over the last two days to fighers from Vietnam,
Algeria and Iranian revolutionaries. There is a sense that whatever Yasser
Arafat is telling his diplomatic interlocutors, he believes he is
controlling events, not just on a local level, but a regional level.
Attitude to Reconciliation or Negotiation with Israel
There is no attempt whatsoever on VOP to offer reconciliation with
Israel or restraint of Palestinian forces-unless all Palestinian demands
are met.
Morning Headlines
(7 a.m., 8 a.m., 10 a.m.)
- "One woman martyred and ten injured in scores of incidents in the homeland;
- Masses in the Shujaiyya Camp in Gaza will accompany the martyr Marwan
al-Ghamri today;
- Settlers continue their aggression against our citizens in several
locations;
- Occupation forces use artillery and heavy weapons to attack houses in
Jericho, Jenin, Hebron,Tulkarm and Qalqilya;
- Power shortages in Hebron due to Israeli shelling;
- White House announces invitation to President Arafat Thursda and to
Barak on Sunday;
- Presidential Secretary Taib Abdel-Rahim,speaking for President Arafat
says there will be no peace, no security and no stability in region until
all Palestinian national goals are met."
Morning Spotlight
Taib Abdel-Rahim,Presidential Secretary
(speaking in Gaza meeting, offered on VOP verbatim)
"The whole world is with us against the occupation and demanding
international protection and demanding an international investigation to
pursue those occupiers and war criminals who believe that power will
overcome our people.
"They will not benefit from their machinations and from their previous
lessons. For this people will not be denied except only by Allah.
"We cling to a peace of the brave, and not a peace for cowards-which is
what they are trying to force on us. Any peace like that will be refused by
us with blood."
Morning Interview
Ahmad Qureia, Speaker of Parliament
Question: What is your view of the upcoming summit?
Answer: "I think the American president has many opportunities and enough time
to deal with events based on international legitimacy-Security Council
resolutions 242 and 338 as well as General Assembly Resolution
194-resolutions for which the U.S. voted. But in the recent period the U.S.
has maintained positions not obligating the Israeli side and not demanding
that the Israeli side carry out international decisions.
Question: The Israelis are demanding that there be no fire on Israeli neighborhoods?
Answer: "Well, the situation as to what the Israelis are initiating is that the
Israelis want the Palestinians to evacuate (Arabic: tarhil) so that
everything will be theirs. And I don't see any progress in the Israeli
position regarding the previous negotiations. They don't want to change the
situation. They want to attempt to systematize their occupation.
The solution is the complete withdrawal from all Arab
territories since '67 and a just solution to the refugee problem.
If the American administration
wants such a solution (we say), 'Welcome' [Arabic: Ahlan wa-sahlan]."
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