Summary

In late April and early May, the official Palestinian Authority (PA) media concentrated on the following issues:

  • Israeli threats against Jerusalem, not just by “Jewish extremists” but by the Israeli government itself;
  • atrocity stories about Israeli treatment of Palestinian women, children such as the use of Israeli radiation devices at Gaza checkpoint and new weapons that paralyze and burn demonstrators;
  • glorification of those “martyred” attacking Israeli targets;
  • local Palestinian elections.

The comments about Israeli attacks and threats on Jerusalem were prominently displayed in all three daily newspapers and on PA television and radio. Indeed, the broadcast treatment of the threats and attacks was given greater weight by the regular and repeated broadcasts (sometimes four times a day and for three days in succession) of PA Prime Minister Ahmad Qreia declaring th