Several Palestinian officials and media outlets late last night and this morning (Monday) distributed criticisms of Israel for yesterday’s Palestinian terror attacks, saying the shootings hurt Palestinian interests, after Israel closed down roads in the area.

However, the PLO statement laid the blame on Israel for the murder Sunday of two Israeli women and one 15-year-old boy, even though PLO media sources themselves declared the attacks were committed by the Fatah movement of PLO chairman and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas…

“A spokesman for the Palestinian leadership called for an end to the Israeli policy or assassinations [of suspected or confirmed terrorists] which only leads to the kinds of reactions we saw yesterday in Bethlehem [i.e. the fatal Palestinian attack in which seven other people were wounded],” according to Voice of Palestine Radio. ==== 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. He has also served as a special advisor to Israeli delegations to peace talks in 1991-1992 and as Strategic Affairs Advisor to the Ministry of Public Security, editing secret PLO Archives captured in Jerusalem.

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