Official PA radio news – the PBC Voice of Palestine – Oct 24

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“President Arafat opened the meeting (of the Palestinian leadership) by sending his congratulations to the Palestinian masses for their steadfastness in standing up tocontinuing Israeli aggression for three weeks.”-

SUMMARY

The Voice of Palestine stepped up its “blood and guts” approach to the current conflict, underscoring that Israeli occupation forces were engaged in “a dangerous escalation.” The “Palestinian leadership” called for an international “protection force” to be brought into the area to prevent “further Israeli aggression.”

In addition to the now familiar program opening with lists of dead martyrs, wounded heroes and funeral times that have dominated the last two days of broadcasting, VOP has stressed in-depth hospital reports from doctors and even the Minister of Health (Dr. Iyad Zaanoun whose report alone lasted more than 8 minutes).

Field reports from Ramallah (Rashid Hilal), Jenin (Nasser Abu-Bakr), Bethlehem (Said Ayyad) and especially Hebron (Salim Abu-Salih) have become intense sometimes to the point of breathless hysteria, including reports of Israeli warplanes (not just helicopters) shooting missiles. The rapid-fire field dispatches highlight Palestinian allegations of Israeli use of dum-dum bullets, tank shells, airborne missiles and other sorts of heavy machine-gun fire far beyond anything Israel has acknowledged. For example,VOP says that Israel used tank and artillery fire against Bethlehem itself. These reports, punctuated with descriptions of “evil,” “wicked,” “criminal,” and “tyrannical” Israeli actions, never mention whether the Palestinian side initiated the confrontation. Israeli settlers are said to have “criminally attacked” Palestinian olive pickers in several areas.

In Beit Jallah, the fighting of Oct 23 (evening) was depicted as an unprovoked Israeli machine gun (500-mm) on “citizens’ houses” as well as on an ambulance of the Palestinian Red Crescent. At the same time, reporters stressed that occupied forces had stiffened their closure of Palestinian cities.

The broadcasts of Oct 24 also had another special quality because today according to the Islamic calendar is the anniversary date of the Prophet Muhammad’s mythical night journey. According to some Islamic traditions, Muhammad travelled from Mecca to Jerusalem where he ascended to the heavens. Because of the occasion, VOP announced one day in advance that students would be given time off from school.

Islamic Mufti Sheikh Ikrema al-Sabry was a featured morning interview guest,stressing the need to defend Jerusalem’s holy Islamic sites. Throughout the day, broadcasts were sprinkled with prayer services and songs with strong Islamic and patriotic overtones.

As in previous days, there was no general call for tranquility or even such a request in a particular locality. There was no mention of the satchel bomb attack in Gaza on a convoy of settlers.

On the diplomatic front VOP highlighted Morocco’s recall of diplomats from Israel-asit had earlier registered favorably Tunisia’s similar action a day earlier.

On the political front VOP continued to condemn Ehud Barak for his “attempts to form an emergency government with extreme Right lead by the extremist Ariel Sharon.”