Quote of the Day-February 15

The terrorism (by Israel) yesterday involved the use of gas bombs which we do not know how to treat this poison. We are against escalation and terror. We are in favor of a just and comprehensive peace not just for our sake but also for the sake of the Israelis and the region of the Middle East. There is a role for Turkey, an international, a role for Europe, a role for Russia and for the United States and a role for the Arab states. We call for an international effort, quickly, to put a stop to this military escalation against our people”.
Yasser Arafat from Ankara press conference Wednesday, broadcast Thursday morning 7:03 a.m.

Summary and Analysis, February 15/16

From Thursday afternoon and through Friday mid-day, the Voice of Palestine headlined what it said were reports from the “Hebrew press” (al-suhuf al’ibriyya: Hebrew newspapers) that Israel was on the verge of launching full military operations against the Palestinians.

Friday’s broadcast stressed on-going artillery attacks on Khan Yunis, Bethlehem and El-Bireh, according to V.O.P., that, according to V.O.P. had caused widespread power blackouts. Palestinian Radio also stressed the stern nature of the Israeli blockade placed on Palestinian towns and cities.

At the same time there was an important change in coverage in the last two days: Yasser Arafat has come full center stage in the news reports-something that had not been seen since the “independence intifada” began in late September. This could mean that Arafat feels he needs to buttress his image and/or it could mean that there is more internal criticism of and frustration with Arafat’s leadership than what has been previously believed.

During its broadcasts on Thursday, V.O.P. continued and enlarged the process (begun Wednesday February 14) of building a heroic profile of the bus driver who rammed his bus into a bus stop south of Tel Aviv yesterday.

The Voice of Palestine did not call Ala Khalil Abu Alba a hero, but its strongly sympathetic treatment of him [ordinary working man, father of five, no known political attachments] left an unmistakable tone with listeners that the driver was being victimized and that he might even be worthy of respect.

Yasser Arafat was quoted throughout the day as calling the incident “an ordinary accident which could have taken place anywhere.” There was no condemnation whatsoever.

The central theme of the day was not terror against Israel but by Israel which was, according to the PLO’s UN representative in Geneva-nabil Ramlawi, escalating its war crimes on all fronts and evading any international investigations.

Palestinian radio emphasized the theme that Israel was preparing for war against the Palestinian Authority, using any and all military means and political stratagems. During its 9PM evening news round-up, it cited widely disparate Israeli officers such as Binyamin Ben Eliezer, (General Oren Shahor (Labor Party, former coordinator of West Bank for Israel) and former General Rafael Eytan are advocating liquidating leading PA officials, according to the V.O.P. report.

Even as it stressed that Israel was heading to war, V.O.P. highlighted claims by Arafat and other PA leaders that Israel was using illegal and immoral weapons systems using poison gas or uranium. At the same time, Israel was stopping Muslims from completing their religious duty to visit Mecca as pilgrims.

Part of the Israel-is-going-to-war picture was furnished by the government coalition developments in Israel. In the evening, V.O.P. reported at 9 p.m. that “defeated prime minister Ehud Barak” was accepting the “army portfolio” from Ariel Sharon-a reference to Barak’s designation as defense minister in the presumed Sharon-led national unity government.

Thursday Morning Headlines. February 15, 7 a.m. / 8 a.m. / 9 a.m.

• “His Excellency President Yasser Arafat called for an international presence on Palestinian territory as a base to stop the dangerous Israeli aggression against our people;
• During a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Jinn, his excellency also stressed the dangers of poison gas used by Israel as well as other strange measures used in Khan Yunis.;
• “His Excellency said the Palestinian people clung to a just and lasting peace, refusing escalation and terrorism.;
• His Excellency said Palestinian-Turkish relations were strong.;
• Occupation forces shelled neighborhoods in Al-Aroub camp and the town of Yatta near Hebron;
• Masses of our people escorted the two exalted martyrs in two funerals in Tulkarm and Gaza, the martyred officer Mas’oud Ayyad and the martyr First mate Ayyid Abu-Harb. The national Authority said Israel would bear the blame for the escalation that would result from the assassinations and its aggression against our people;
• Occupation forces imposed a land, sea and air blockade on all Palestinian territory in the (West) Bank and Gaza, imposing a siege on all towns and cities;
• The military authorities extended the custody for 15 days of Ala Khalil Abu Alba from Sheikh Radwan in Gaza for investigation while he is being treated in one of the hospitals, after his being critically wounded. And Abu Alba was wounded yesterday when the bus he was driving struck several Israeli soldiers, killing eight and injuring 21;
• Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa say that the assassination policy of Israel against the Palestinians is a source of escalating violence. And Mousa said such assassinations only open the door to more violence and that every action leads to a reaction;
• Jordanian foreign minister Tailib al-Rifai says that the dangerous escalation of Israel in Palestinian territory is the source of great worry to Jordan and the region;
• Russian foreign minister Ivan Ivanov says Russia desires that new prime minister Ariel Sharon will take steps to put an end to the conflict.;
• The Arab states strongly condemned the steps Israel was taking against our people, especially the assassination of Masoud Ayyad of Force 17. and blamed Israel for the escalation in the violence.demanding international protection for our people and condemning the war crimes being committed against our people;
• The defeated Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak expressed his confidence that an agreement would soon be reached to form a national unity government headed by the leader of the Israeli Right, prime minister-elect Ariel Sharon.but he was not sure he (Barak) would participate in it.”

Thursday Morning Round-up Headlines, February 15

• “His Excellency President Yasser Arafat in Ankara renews his call for an international presence in Palestinian territory to stem the savage Israeli aggression against our people (Note: this item was repeated in roughly identical form through 18 consecutive newscasts throughout the day);
• “His Excellency extolled the state of Palestinian-Turkish relations and Palestinian-Syrian relations;

Note: V.O.P. broke from usual format and used Arafat footage from yesterday’s trip to Turkey at the top of its show, even before the bulletin headlines. The reason for this change is not clear, but perhaps it was a way of showing Arafat in good form and in control. Arafat spoke well and without interruption or noticeable stutter.

Thursday Afternoon February 15 Mid-day Round-up and Panorama Magazine, 2 p.m.

• “The slaughter and murder of our innocent citizens continues despite international condemnations;
• Today the Israeli authorities cold-bloodedly murdered the youth Nasser Muhammad Hasanat, 20 years old, contending that he was trying to enter the settlement of Kfar Darom, south of Gaza, and opened fire on him;
• The reinforced Israeli blockade continues in all prefects, turning the homeland into a prison, preventing the entry or exit from any city;
• On the political front, his excellency the president returns from a diplomatic tour of several countries.demanding an investigation into the use of poison gas;
• The UN’s investigation commission speaks to the Minister of Labor.”

Friday February 16 Morning News 8 a.m.

• “Occupation forces shell residential neighborhoods in El-Bireh, Hebron and southern Gaza;
• His Excellency the president holds discussion with the European representative to the peace process (Miguel Angel Moratinos) regional topics in the shadow of the Israeli military escalation;
• Agreement on establishment a national unity government in Israel between Labor and Likud, and Binyamin Netanyahu courts Sharon from Washington;
• The Home Rule Minister (Saeb Erikat) warns Israel about abandoning (literally: scratching off) the source authority of the peace process;
• The Hebrew newspapers say the Occupation forces are about to launch painful military operations against Palestinian personalities, especially against leaders of the Fatah Movement.”

Summary and Analysis

Voice of Palestine opened its Sunday noon news program with news that a special military court had sentenced a Palestinian to death by firing squad for working with Israel. An execution date was not announced, apparently because the condemned man, Muhammad Hassan Musalem, still has the right of appeal to President Yasser Arafat.

In addition, in one of its Sunday interviews, V.O.P. featured PLO Executive member Assad Abdul-Rahman who spoke of attaining refugee rights not only for Palestinians but also for Israeli Arabs displaced in 1948. This little-known feature of Palestinian ideology has not really intruded on the public debate, but the V.O.P. interview was a signal that the Palestinian Authority is not only not pulling back on its refugee demands, it is actually escalating them to include Israeli citizens, which IT (the PA) intends to represent in talks with Israel.

Instead of contacts between Arafat and Sharon (such as Yediot Aharonot and Kol Yisrael talking about Arafat’s greetings to Sharon’s new grandchildren), V.O.P. emphasized the contacts between Sharon and Ehud Barak to form a national unity government which Palestinian commentators said would not help Palestinian interests.

Rather than friendly contacts with Israel, V.O.P. is telling the Palestinian audience that the Palestinian leadership is doing everything it can to put pressure on Israel:

• Making efforts to keep the Intifada going and even to escalate with the help of increased Arab aid;
• Working hard to get the Mitchell Commission and the UN Human Rights Commission to condemn Israel and to cal for an international force to be placed in defense of Palestinians;
• Pressing for a renewed Arab boycott of Israel.

Sunday Morning Round-up Headlines, February 11

• The continuing confrontations and the attacks by the occupation forces go on, wounding a number of our citizens by the bullets of the occupation soldiers;
• In Amman the meeting continues of the Oversight Committee (foreign ministers) of the Arab League summit in Cairo, discussing executing the decisions of the summit concerning the Intifada and the changes in the region and the changes in the American Administration as well as Sharon’s rise to power;
• And in this news period we will take an in-depth look at the formation of the new government led by Ariel Sharon.”

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

• A large explosion in Kfar Darom, which was built on lands taken from Dir al-Balah, followed by a major exchange of fire and the occupation forces close the roads between north and south Gaza;
• Occupation forces continue their aggression against our people in most of the prefectures;
• His Excellency President Yasser Arafat received the United Nations investigating commission in his headquarters in Gaza last night asking it to proceed quickly to stop the continuing aggression against our people and our lands.
• Occupation forces extended their aggression against our people as Occupation special forces arrested the two brothers Rami and Jihad Awad al-Dik from Hawara near Nablus after opening fire on them and wounding them;
• A farmer was wounded when he entered his lands and was fired upon by an Israeli settler in Turmos Aya in the Ramallah prefecture, along with confrontations in Kufr Malik in the prefecture under live fire and the use of gas canisters designed to cause tears (i.e. tear gas grenades);
• In Hebron, two citizens were wounded in the Qarantina area, and in Gaza three citizens were injured near the Mintar crossing point and were taken to Shefaa Hospital for treatment;
• Israeli forces endangered people in 22 residences in Khan Yunis in preparation of their demolition today, and the occupation authorities threatened to demolish the homes.;
• The residents of Al-Khader in the Bethlehem district were subjected to severe Israeli shelling last night resulting in injuries;
• His Excellency President Yasser Arafat discusses with Terry Larsen, the special representative of the United Nations Secretary General, the latest political developments in the region and the difficult events enveloping our people;
• His Excellency called on the UN’s investigating commission visiting Palestine to redouble its efforts into investigating the Israeli violations of the rights of our citizens. The head of the commission criticized Israel for lack of cooperation with the commission;
• The Oversight Commission of the Arab League summit began its deliberations in Amman last night;
• Farouk al-Qaddoumi, the head of the political department of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, said the commission would discuss ways for continuing support for the Intifada of our people;
• Dr. Nabil Sha’ath, Minister of International Economic Development said the Palestinian Leadership would ask the summit meeting to develop an effective economic boycott of Sharon should he continue with his extreme policy against the Palestinian people;
• The Jordanian monarch King Abdullah II called on the Israeli prime minister-elect Sharon to continue negotiations with the (Palestinian) National Authority from the point it left off with the Barak Government.
• Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa calls on the Arabs for solidarity and for boycotting Israel in response the stern (also hard-line or unrelenting or severe) position held by Israeli prime minister Sharon (Note: they left out ‘elect’) to the peace process;
• The Israeli Labor Party says it will respond today to the Likud proposals for a unity government headed by Ariel Sharon, and sources in the Likud say Sharon aims to achieve a unity government in two weeks.

Quotes from Interview with Dr. Assad Abdul-Rahman, member of PLO Executive, participating in Human Rights forum in Rabat Morocco, 7:20 a.m.

“The Palestinian refugees got special attention (at the forum) inasmuch as they constitute 70-percent of the Palestinian people, and therefore we cannot discuss what may happen to the Palestinian people without addressing this broad political question… and the rights of the refugees cannot be discussed except through a position of principle and in the context of human rights, and this follows also from resolution 194 (the resolution referring to refugees’ rights to return home)… There is also discussion that resolution 194 is not enough. for example, we found that many of the groups (in the conference) did not know about situation of the displaced persons inside the ’48 areas (Note: “’48 areas” is a reference to Israel, referring to “internal refugees,” i.e. Arabs who were displaced from one Israeli-ruled area to another Israeli-ruled area) and that’s a third of a million or two hundred fifty thousand…“