In his morning commentary, senior V.O.P. commentator Youssef al-Kazaz exhorted the new Republican administration to take an active role in the peace process and for President George W. Bush “to be his father’s son.”

The increased criticism and condemnation of the Bush Administration for attacking Saddam and supporting Israel are still evident, but they have been muted a bit because of the meetings in Washington, apparently, and the upcoming visit of Secretary of State Colin Powell.

In a Tuesday morning interview, the PLO representative in Washington tries to downplay Palestinian expectations from the Bush Administration, but noting favorably that Powell’s first international trip is to the Middle East.

Elsewhere, V.O.P. is still opening its news programs with war reports from the field replete with detailed coverage (sometimes even hysterical coverage, from Salim Abu-Salih in Hebron, for example) of dead Palestinian martyrs and evil Israeli soldiers cold-bloodedly murdering children with poison gas.

In the background (but featured more prominently than during the first four months of the “Independence Intifada” is Yasser Arafat, busily conferring with world leaders in an attempt to end Israeli aggression while implementing the Palestinian people’s just goals.

Tuesday Morning Round-up Headlines

  • “Occupation authorities continue their evil policies of aggression with a new loathsome assassination of Mahmoud Suleiman al-Madani in Nablus, and the National Authority condemns the continuation of the Occupation Authorities’ policy of assassinations and arbitrary measures;
  • Violent shellings target several areas-El Bireh, Bethlehem and Beit jallah as well as various parts of Hebron;
  • In the Leadership’s meeting yesterday his excellency President Yasser Arafat reviewed the latest events and developments.”

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR