Summary and Analysis

The Voice of Palestine stepped up the Palestinian Authority’s support of Ehud Barak, only five days before Israeli elections, featuring reports on efforts by Sweden (temporary head of EU) to set up summit between Barak and Yasser Arafat.

PA officials such as Development Minister Nabil Sha’ath, Arafat’s spokesman Nabil Abu-Irdeineh and Presidential Secretary Taib Abd-al-Rahim were interviewed and/or quoted as supporting the summit idea and/or condemning “extremist Likud candidate Ariel Sharon” for plotting against the friendly relations between Jordan and the PA. Their remarks were re-cycled throughout the bulletin headlines through the morning.

But in a rare funny live-radio backfire (especially rare on Palestinian radio), VOP attempts to get a strong anti-Sharon condemnation blew up in the PA’s face as the Jordanian Information Minister when asked about fears of Sharon, said: “We have no fear in this matter,” and the VOP announcer, Karim Khalid, quickly terminated the interview (see below for interview).

In addition, despite PA support for Barak, PA officials strenuously denied various Israeli reports (Ma’ariv Tuesday morning, Channel Two Wednesday night) about Palestinian-Israeli deals at Taba or imminent framework agreements in a pre-election Arafat-Barak meeting. From the strong Palestinian denials-which are consistent and from different officials over a period of several days-it appears that the source for the Israeli stories is likely a senior Israeli official with strong stakes in the upcoming Israeli election.

At 12-noon, VOP gave more prominent coverage to Barak’s decision not to withdraw from candidacy for re-election.

Morning Round-up Headlines

  • “We will cover the top developments in the Independence Intifada and the military aggression of the Israeli Occupation and its sieges against the sons of our people;
  • Two new martyrs and strong military pressure at the Rafah checkpoint and at the airport;
  • The (Palestinian) Leadership in its weekly meeting last night asserts that the future portends an end to the Occupation and colonization (Arabic: Christian: also settlement);
  • Minister of Economic Development and Cooperation Dr. Nabil Sha’ath TOTALLY DENIES possibility of finding final solution at summit;
  • Jordanian Minister of Information Talib al-Rifai characterizes Sharon’s comments in the newspaper regarding Palestinian-Jordanian border (Note: headline does not say how or what he characterized);
  • Today the first of Shubat (February) is the Day of the Arab Woman;
  • Arab voters inside the Green Line: (torn) between blank ballots and boycotting the elections.”

Morning Headlines, 7 a.m./ 8 a.m. / 9 a.m.

  • “The martyring of the citizen Ismail Ahmad Tubani, 50 years old, from the Mughazi Camp who was hit by bullet fire in the heart at the hand of Occupation soldiers who fired, without provocation, at his car as it stopped by the “Shuhada Checkpoint” (literally “martyrs’ checkpoint”, and translator does not know official name for location) in southern Gaza;
  • Two citizens wounded by Israeli tank fire last night at the Mintar crossing;
  • Occupation soldiers invade Kafr Haris near the town of Salfit, casting off bombs to terrorize the citizens last night;
  • Confrontations in Silwan between families and the Occupation soldiers, despite a curfew that was declared on the town, resulting in 10 wounded;
  • Telephone conversation between President Arafat and the Prime Minister of Sweden, currently serving as head of European Union, and the conversation centered on the most recent developments in continuing Israeli aggression and the recent Taba negotiations and the opportunity for holding a Palestinian-Israeli summit in Stockholm before the Israeli elections;
  • A spokesman for the Swedish prime minister said no decision has yet been reached on the holding of a new summit regarding the Middle East between President Yasser Arafat and the Israeli prime minister;
  • The (Palestinian) Leadership renews its rejection of any agreement that does not guarantee the solution of the problem of the refugees and their return to their homes from which they were evicted in 1948, and their habituation with their dependents;
  • And the Leadership asserts in a statement published at the end of its meeting last night in Gaza headed by President Yasser Arafat asserted the role played by the obligation of Israel to the source authority of the peace process and the decisions of international legitimacy (i.e. UN resolutions). as the basis for any readiness for any talks with Israel.and the guaranteeing of the interests of our people in reaching the goal of freedom and independence;
  • Presidential Secretary Taib Abd-al-Rahim stresses the statement of the Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abdul-Ghaib last night about the aggressive and provocative statements of Ariel Sharon which reflected his Occupation vision and racism and Sharon’s attempt to sow discord among Arab fraternity and harmony;
  • The two sides-Palestinian and Israeli-agree on a memorandum on the extension of the timetable of the assignment of the international force in Hebron.;
  • Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak says that he is capable of winning the competition for prime minister’s post;
  • Israeli helicopters strafe villages in southeastern Lebanon;
  • Ireland asserts time limit for role in force in southern Lebanon.;
  • Finally, President George Bush says America will press Libya to recognize its responsibility for the Lockerbie attack and for compensation payments.”

Quote of the Day

“There is no appointed time nor place.. The Israeli side did not present anything new at the Taba session, and he remained where he was before Taba. and we do not want a meeting just for the sake of a meeting.“

(Saeb Erikat, following last night’s PLO Executive meeting, on question whether a time and place have been set for Arafat-Barak summit, and on results of previous meetings at Taba–Thursday morning news interview, 7:25 a.m.)

Quotes from field interview with PLO Executive member, Zakariah al-Agha

“The Palestinian side is ready for negotiations aimed at reaching agreement, but the difficulty is on the Israeli side which is not ready for this matter. There are international efforts at holding a meeting between President Yasser Arafat and the Israeli prime minister during the coming days, but no final time has been set for this meeting.”

Question: “With the continuing Israeli aggression, do you think such a meeting can take place?”

Answer: “I do NOT think so because such a meeting will be merely a meeting for the protocol, but I do NOT expect any dramatic developments from such a meeting, especially, as you said, while Israeli aggression continues as part of the election campaign against the Palestinian people[taken as “actuality” from within report by Gaza correspondent ‘Adil Za’anoun in Gaza, covering meeting of PLO Executive, 7:15 a.m.)

Quotations from interview with Saeb Erikat, 7:30a.m.

Question: “Are there conditions for a meeting?”

Answer: “Obviously what is demanded is that the peace process continue on the basis of Madrid. Madrid, that is 242, 338, resolution 194 and an Israeli withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 borders including Jerusalem, and the question of refugees according to 194. The Israeli side did not present anything new at the Taba session, and he remained at where he was before Taba. and we do not want a meeting just for the sake of a meeting.”

Quotations from Talib al-Rifai, Jordanian Minister of Information:

Question: Ariel Sharon told Yediot Aharonot that Jordan wants Israel to hold on to the Ghur (Jordan) Valley and the Jordan River?”

Answer: “That does NOT deserve a reply. It’s a journalistic statement and it has absolutely no meaning. (Pressed a bit by interviewer to extend his answer.)… It’s just an attempt to sow discord between the two fraternal peoples.”

Question: “Is there a fear in Jordan about the advancement of Sharon to the government and to power in Israel?”

Answer: “We will work together with Sharon as we would work with someone else. Jordan knows how to deal with all eventualities in its regard. We have no fear in this matter.” ( 7:40 a.m.)

Quotes from Interview with Ahmad Tibi Israeli MK and former advisor to Arafat, who appears much more often on Israeli media than VOP

“If someone wants to cast a blank ballot (white paper) that’s okay, and if someone wants to boycott, that’s okay. But we strongly reject, strongly reject any attempt to vote for Ariel Sharon. It’ll be one percent maybe two percent in the Arab community.But any vote is legitimate.And in the final analysis we all have to realize that if Ariel Sharon wins-and that looks like the result-the world will not be destroyed as some have tried to portray it. No, there won’t be a war. But there is no doubt that will be extremist rightwing. It is incumbent on the Arab world, on the Palestinian Leadership, and on all of us to get ready for this eventuality, and to be ready to confront it.”

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