Four Questions for Reporters to Ask in the New Year

On July 15th, 2007, Israel Resource News Agency placed four [unanswered] questions of consequence to the governments of the United States and Israel concerning the Fatah:

1. The Israel Ministry of Justice and the United States Department of Justice both define the Fatah organization as an illegal terrorist organization. The Israeli Ministry of Justice made that determination on March 1st, 1980. The US Department of Justice made that determination on March 23rd, 2002. Since the US and Israel now deal directly with the Fatah, why has neither country changed the legal status of the Fatah? Shouldn’t Fatah’s legal status as a terrorist organization be amended before the US and Israel move forward with recognition and negotiation with the Fatah?

2. In September 1993 on the White House lawn, the Fatah signed the Declaration of Principles of the Oslo accords (for recognition of Israel and against terrorism). However, in October 1993, the Fatah would not ratify these accords. Should not the Fatah be asked to finally ratify the 1993 “Declaration of Principles” against terror and violence before the US and Israel proceed with recognition and negotiation with the Fatah?

3. As an integral part of the Oslo accords, the Fatah promised to cancel its covenant that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel. The Palestine National Council convened in 1996 and 1998 to discuss that covenant yet has never canceled it. Should not the US and Israel insist that the Fatah cancel its covenant before proceeding with recognition and negotiation with the Fatah?

4. According to the studies of the Fatah’s most recent Palestinian Authority school books, authored by Noa Meridor (see www.intelligence.org.il) and by Dr. Arnon Groiss (see www.edume.org), the new school books of the PA continue to demonize Israeli Jews and prepare Palestinian children for war. Should the US and Israel not insist that the Fatah cancel its curriculum before proceeding with recognition and negotiation with the Fatah?

Neither the American or the Israeli governments will answer any of these questions.

Spokespeople of both governments say – off the record – they wish that our news agency would not ask such questions.

Hardly anyone asked these questions of the Fatah at the outset of the peace process. As a result, the Fatah got away with murder.

Indeed, this past July 26th, the Philadelphia Bulletin published a list of 328 men, women and children who were murdered by the Fatah over the past seven years

Indeed, during the “cease-fire” between November 21st and May 15th over the past year, the Fatah took credit for the majority of the rockets fired from Gaza into Sderot and the Western Negev region of Israel.

The Fatah also took credit for the bombardment of Sderot on the day before the Rosh HaShanah New Jewish New Year last week.

What remains clear is that both American and Israeli governments cut corners, acting as if the Fatah is something other than what it is.