Summary & Analysis

In its Thursday and Friday broadcasts, V.O.P. has been almost mono-maniacally fixated on Israeli comments portending possible military action inside PA territory. Various PA ministers have-following the lead of Presidential Secretary Ta’ib Abd-al-Rahim several days ago and again Thursday, warning that any Israeli invasion “will not be a picnic.”

This “not-be-a-picnic” has become a mantra along with personal insults hurled at Israeli army generals Shaul Mofaz (chief of staff) and Moshe “Boogy” Ya’alon (deputy COS) as well as continuing slurs against Ariel Sharon and Ehud Barak.

A large portion of the 90 minutes of the Thursday morning News Round-Up was devoted to this subject in one form or another.

In addition, V.O.P. broadcast an undisguised SOS for financial and political support on the eve of what it says will be the height of its historic battle for freedom.

There was limited and tangential V.O.P. coverage of the bomb-explosion-aboard-the-taxi story on Thursday evening or Friday, and there was no condemnation of the incident. (Note: a mysterious explosion in the “liberated” side of Hebron a week ago was also virtually ignored. Israeli officials believe that both incidents involved abortive terror attacks or preparations for car bombs.)

As the “Feast of the Sacrifice” approaches, V.O.P. featured an address from Jerusalem Mufti Sheikh Ikrema al-Sabry detailing the religious laws and timetable associated with the Feast. The sheikh also called on celebrants of the Feast not to forget their needy brothers.

In the Friday mosque speech broadcast on V.O.P. from the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the United States was attacked bitterly for supporting Israel and for attacking the Palestinians and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. The speaker, Youssef Abu-Sneina, is known for his vitriolic addresses, and that he was chosen to speak and to be broadcast on PA radio during the week of the Colin Powell visit says almost as much as the very content of his remarks.

Thursday Morning Round-up Headlines-March 1

  • “Twenty wounded from Occupation forces’ shooting, including a four-year old, and the Israeli aggression and siege continues against our people;
  • His Excellency President Yasser Arafat meets in Cairo with Egyptian President Husni Mubarak, and will hold talks in Libya today with Libyan leader Mu’amar Qadhafi;
  • The (Palestinian) National Authority regards the Mofaz accusations (about the PA being a terrorist entity) a prelude to full-scale aggression;
  • The prayers for the Feast of the Sacrifice on Monday at 6:35;
  • Financial maneuvers with the European sponsors to bring aid to our Palestinian people in the shadow of the Israeli siege and aggression;
  • Demonstrations against Israeli use of internationally forbidden gases.”

Thursday Morning Headlines, 7 a.m. / 8 a.m. / 9 a.m.

  • “His Excellency President Yasser Arafat is discussing the latest developments in the peace process, in the Libyan capital with Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, in addition to discussing the Arab situation before the holding of the Arab summit in Amman at the end of next month;
  • Presidential Secretary Ta’ib Abd-al-Rahim rejects the accusations of the Israeli Occupation army chief of staff that the Palestinian National Authority was turning into a terrorist entity. Abd-al-Rahim said these pronouncements were a step towards building support for attempts to realize self-fulfilling prophecies (in Arabic: law of desires) by (Israeli chief of staff Shaul) Mofaz himself against the (Palestinian) National Authority, Palestinian officials and the Palestinian people. The Presidential Secretary placed the blame on Israel for any results of any military operation taken against liberated territories (i.e. territory ceded to the PA by Israel) or the Palestinian Leadership, because the results would be destructive and uncontainable.;
  • The National Authority sends an urgent appeal to Arab leaders and kings and heads of Arab states to stand firm with the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in its historic battle for freedom and independence;
  • On the other hand, the National Authority said it was ready for military and security officials to search for weapons that Mofaz, the Israeli chief of staff, says that the National Authority possesses;
  • Israeli occupation forces invade Beit Auwa last night in the liberated part of the Hebron district, and bombarded with heavy artillery and automatic weapons the Mughraaqa area (in Gaza) near the settlement of Netzarim, damaging several houses.;
  • Egyptian President Husni Mubarak had a telephone conversation with defeated Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak the dangers of the absence of any peace process in the Middle East;
  • The South African parliament agrees to the government demand to send a fact-finding commission to Palestinian territories to uncover Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people;
  • Three parliamentary members of the Israeli Center Party announce their departure from the party.;
  • The summit of the Organization of African Unity begins in Libya today led by Libyan leader Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi.”

Quotes from Commentary by Samir Interr, senior V.O.P. anchorman

“A responsible information source asserts the following:

‘General Shaul Mofaz, Israeli army chief of staff, held a press conference yesterday evening in which he announced that Israel could not withstand the mental pressure.and that the Israeli army would soon begin a complete attack (‘udwan: also means “aggression”) on Palestinian territory and on National Authority personnel. Mofaz said that Palestinian Authority officials, first of all those in security apparatus, have been smuggling military equipment including anti-aircraft missiles.bringing them in by sea and via tunnels between Egyptian (controlled) Rafah and Palestinian (controlled) Rafah, and that Egypt has refused to act in this matter.

As for these Israeli threats, we say the following:

The recent statements by Israeli officials or by Israeli settlers who declared their desire for the assassination of President Yasser Arafat have been set forth with one purpose-preparing the way for a general Israeli attack targeting the institutions of the Palestinian National Authority, and first of all its heads and security apparatus.

We read on the record and in between the lines the written statement issued by General Mofaz to the communications media and the various press and television outlets as an internal Israeli media campaign against the Palestinian National Authority. We also read (i.e. we see) an agreement between Prime Minister Ehud Barak and elected prime minister Ariel Sharon and the leadership of the Israeli army to execute a complete and frantic military escalation. And Mofaz’s press conference is a prelude to this dangerous military escalation..

(Note: the statement by the “responsible source” then detailed the various Israeli measures that would make smuggling weapons into PA territory impossible-without, of course, mentioning that Israel has been charging PA officials with VIP “immunity” of using their vehicles, including Arafat’s own helicopter, for smuggling weapons.)

We also read these aggressive statements as a sign that the Israeli leadership has been preparing for sometime to launch a fatal strike against the peace process..

(The statement then said that the Palestinian people would use every weapon in their possession-from rocks upward-to fight Israeli aggression, but it called on the world community to protect the Palestinians from the coming Israeli aggression, adding that it was ready to receive international inspectors to investigate and search for the weapons described by Mofaz.)

As for Mofaz’s comment on the National Authority becoming a terrorist entity (i.e. the PA), it (the comment) is not worthy of reply.'”

(Note: the statement was then followed immediately by an interview with the man who probably wrote the statement — PA Information Minister Yasser Abed-Rabbo.)

Quotes from Yasser Abed-Rabbo, PA Minister of Information, at 7:40 a.m.

Question: What do you say about the report on Mofaz’s statement, about the charges of terrorism and smuggling missiles and other weapons?”

Answer: “This is part of the campaign that the (Israeli) army leadership has started since the eruption of the legitimate Palestinian intifada. This campaign wants to justify the evil style and measures taken by the Israeli army and the settlers against the Palestinian people. And on the other had it wants to lay the blame for the escalation, confrontation and violence on the Palestinian people and its leadership. We see this campaign as coming at a time when the international community has increased its condemnation of Israel’s repressive style and measures and collective punishment, especially the racist approach taken by the Israeli Occupation against the Palestinian people..

(Note: the following remarks actually came in answer to a second question about a South African delegation proposing investigation of Israel for war crimes.)

In the worst days of the racism in South Africa, no one witnessed anything approaching what is now doing to the Palestinian people. They did not see the bombardment of cities and collective punishment and the disruption of economic life. They did not witness a policy of assassination embraced officially by the government of Israel.”

Thursday Evening Headlines, March 1, 7 p.m.
(two hours after explosion on Wadi Ara Road)

  • “Israeli occupation forces extended and continued their aggression and siege against our innocent citizens.;
  • Israeli occupation authorities impose curfew on Rafat in Ramallah district.;
  • In Qalqilya, one citizen was injured during demonstration this evening.;
  • The Fatah movement in the West Bank asserts that the intrepid Intifada is the legitimate son of the Palestinian people and its national leadership, and it will continue until the disappearance of the Occupation and the complete realization of Palestinian independence under the leadership of the President, the Leader, Abu Amar.;
  • The National Authority warned the Israeli government against any planned military operations against territory under Palestinian Authority sovereignty.Presidential Secretary Ta’ib Abd-al-Rahim said the results of such an operation would be destructive and impossible to confine. And for his part, Cabinet Secretary Ahmad Abd-al-Rahman condemned the statement of deputy Israeli chief of staff Moshe Ya’alon, the deputy of Mofaz and said that any attempt by the Israeli army to occupy Palestinian territory would not be a picnic and would lead to the Israelis paying a high price;
  • Yaalon told The Washington Post that Israel was studying the possibility of occupying parts of the National Authority.;
  • The Israeli police says it is investigating an explosion in Tel Aviv (yesterday) and its connection to an explosion that took place in Wadi Ara this afternoon that led to the death of one Israeli and the wounding of nine others. The Police say the wounded man holding the bomb was trying to transport it in a taxi when it exploded and that he is responsible for placing a bomb near a Tel Aviv restaurant.And as is customary, Israel accused the national Authority of responsibility in this explosion which occurred inside Israel..;
  • A spokesman for Israeli prime minister-elect Sharon said he would present his government to the Knesset next Wednesday.”

Friday Morning Headlines, March 2, 7 a.m. / 8 a.m. / 9 a.m.

  • ” Occupation forces bombard inhabited neighborhoods in el-Bireh and Rafat township in the district, using heavy weapons;
  • Confrontations in Qalqilya and Bir Nidam, where the youth Ra’id Tamimi was shot in the face;
  • His Excellency President Yasser Arafat stresses that the Israeli side will not succeed in imposing borders on us or the region. President Arafat made his comments at a summit of the Organization of African Unity in Libya. And His Excellency said that there would be no stability and no security unless Israel keeps all agreements.;
  • The Fatah movement declares that the intrepid Intifada is the legitimate child of our people and its national leadership, and it will continue until the disappearance (note-zawal: also extinction or total removal) of the Occupation and the achievement of complete independence and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state under the leadership of The President, The Leader, Abu Amar;
  • The Israeli police say they are investigating a Jewish woman of Russian extraction in connection with a romantic liaison with the man who carried out the explosive incident in Wadi Ara inside the Green Line, leading to the death of one person and the wounding of nine others;
  • The permanent Palestinian observer to the United Nation, Dr. Nasser Al-Kudwa, urges Security Council to dispatch of international observers as soon as possible.;
  • The new American administration says it intends to announce that new sanctions against Iraq should have an effect on the Iraqi government and not on the Iraqi people;
  • The (Israeli) Labor Party today chooses its candidates for the (Sharon) Government.”

Quotes from Interview with Sheikh Ikrema al-Sabry, Mufti, Friday, 8:30 a.m.

[The Mufti was asked about Israeli plots against al-Aqsa and assertions by Israel that the Muslims were doing something wrong in their digs that would lead to the destruction of important archeological material.]

“In the name of God the compassionate and merciful. We say first that Al Aqsa belongs only to the Muslims, and the Jews have no connection to it. All these protests from the Israelis show that they have designs on the blessed al Aqsa. The house of al-Aqsa is our house. We are the guardians of its protection and its preservation. All these statements by them that they have holy archeological artifacts in Al-Aqsa are simply delusional..There is no connection to Solomon’s temple (Heikal Suleiman). And there is no connection Jewish artifacts. This site goes back to the Omayyad era and after it to the Ayyubi period and the Mamluke period, and it has no connection to Hebrew history. And all comments that these artifacts have a connection what is called Solomon’s Temple are untrue. Until now, Israeli experts have admitted that they have found no trace that has any connection to Solomon’s Temple. And until this time, they do not know where Solomon’s Temple was located.”

Interviewer: “That’s true.”

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