Summary and Analysis

VOP is broadcasting mixed and confusing message regarding talks with Israel, suggesting that the Palestinian Authority may be going through a bit of an identity crisis or in some kind of split personality-or just deep internal differences over strategy and tactics.

For several hours yesterday, December 14, it totally ignored Israeli reports of a high-level meeting between PA President Yasser Arafat and Israeli negotiators Gilad Sher and Police Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami.

Only on its midnight news round-up, did VOP finally mention the meeting, leading its news line-up with the item on the summit, which was covered tersely. But the item was dropped entirely from the first Friday morning news show at 8 am, and was added as the last item in 9 am news. (see headlines below)

Later it was mentioned in the context of remarks by Yasser Abd Rabbo, who said he expected a continuation of the talks but also a continuation and even intensification of the Intifada

For several days VOP has featured PA Speaker Ahmad Qreia-Abu Ala-in its prime time interviews, offering the view that there will be no talks with Israel, certainly not unless and until Israel executes past agreements: freeing prisoners and withdrawing from key Jerusalem neighborhoods. Beginning on December 12, VOP also began offering the views of PLO Executive Secretary Mahmoud Abbas-Abu Mazen-offering a slightly less hard-line approach: that there were some low-level contacts.

Today, VOP featured PA Information Minister Yasser Abd-Rabbo saying that there would be contacts but that the Intifada would continue until Palestinian demands are met and that indeed they would step up confrontations. Similarly, in the mosque speech featured on the 12-noon news, the mosque speaker reiterated that the Palestinians would not stop their intifada and he called forth a vision of the end of the State of Israel.

Morning Headlines 8 a.m.

  • “The martyring of the youth Muhammad Hamtash, 28 years old, from Baqat al-Hashab in the Ramallah prefecture, a member of the security forces who was shot in the chest…;
  • Masses of our people in Khan Yunis will accompany the funeral of Hani Abu Bakr in the afternoon, and he was martyred in a crime executed by Israeli occupation forces when they opened fire for no reason on a car going down the highway…and five others were injured,4 of them seriously;
  • Occupation forces are preventing those under the age of 45 from praying at the Juma’a (Friday assembly) prayers in Al Aqsa…;
  • President Yasser Arafat has sent a congratulatory message to American President-elect George Bush Junior….saying that the Palestinians clung to a just, lasting and comprehensive peace based on international legitimacy;
  • Economic Cooperation Minister Dr, Nabil Sha’ath characterized President Arafat’s meeting with French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine as very important, emphasizing the important role to played by the European Community in the peace process;
  • Former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he would not run for the post of prime minister unless the Knesset itself also ran for election at the same time.”

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