The quantity and intensity of the Palestinian propaganda against Jews and Israel have increased lately with the aim of presenting Israel and Jews as evil, treacherous enemies that pose a mortal danger to the Palestinians, to Islam, and to all that is holy to them. So reports Itamar Marcus' Palestinian Media Watch this week. Yasser Arafat, at the recent Davos Economic Forum, called on the international community to protect the Palestinians from Israeli actions, including the use of tanks, combat helicopters, and machine guns against Palestinian children. He also asserted that Israel is using ammunition tipped with depleted uranium and other prohibited weapons.
In a sequel to Suha Arafat's accusations of last year, the Palestinian Authority's newspapers reported again about gas poisonings:
"Medical sources reported yesterday evening that more than 40 residents were injured in a strange occurrence of hysteria and nervous collapse as a result of their inhaling poison gas, fired for the first time by the Israeli occupation forces on defenseless residents. Medical specialists are of the opinion that it is nerve gas, prohibited by international law. [Al Ayyam, 13 February 2000, and a similar report in Al Quds]
Two other recent Palestinian "medical" reports:
"Senior medical sources related yesterday that the occupation forces used a new kind of lethal bullets against innocent residents. The new bullets have sharp metal wings and they fly at great speeds." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, 28 October 2000]
"Authoritative medical sources revealed that there is an increase in the average number of deformed births in the Shafaa hospital in Gaza. They do not deny the possibility that this phenomenon is associated with depleted uranium." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, 31 January 2001]
PMW notes that there is no basis to any of these claims. Not only has the Israeli Army categorically refuted the allegations, but it is clear that these claims are in the same category as the Palestinian libel that Israel infected Palestinians with AIDS.
The Palestinians often issue false statements contradicting even publicly known facts, says PMW. The organization notes that the entire world saw the televised destruction of Joseph's Tomb by Palestinian mobs and police. Yet the Palestinians reported the event as follows:
"Yesterday, the City of Nablus began the rehabilitation and renovation of the demolished parts of 'Joseph's Tomb' . It is important to note that heavy damage was caused to the tomb and to a large number of nearby structures during these disturbances, in the wake of the shootings by the occupation forces which are concentrated on Mounts Grizim and Eival, and because of their use of heavy machine guns." [Al Ayyam, 10 October 2000]
In a sequel to Suha Arafat's accusations of last year, the Palestinian Authority's newspapers reported again about gas poisonings:
"Medical sources reported yesterday evening that more than 40 residents were injured in a strange occurrence of hysteria and nervous collapse as a result of their inhaling poison gas, fired for the first time by the Israeli occupation forces on defenseless residents. Medical specialists are of the opinion that it is nerve gas, prohibited by international law. [Al Ayyam, 13 February 2000, and a similar report in Al Quds]
Two other recent Palestinian "medical" reports:
"Senior medical sources related yesterday that the occupation forces used a new kind of lethal bullets against innocent residents. The new bullets have sharp metal wings and they fly at great speeds." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, 28 October 2000]
"Authoritative medical sources revealed that there is an increase in the average number of deformed births in the Shafaa hospital in Gaza. They do not deny the possibility that this phenomenon is associated with depleted uranium." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, 31 January 2001]
PMW notes that there is no basis to any of these claims. Not only has the Israeli Army categorically refuted the allegations, but it is clear that these claims are in the same category as the Palestinian libel that Israel infected Palestinians with AIDS.
The Palestinians often issue false statements contradicting even publicly known facts, says PMW. The organization notes that the entire world saw the televised destruction of Joseph's Tomb by Palestinian mobs and police. Yet the Palestinians reported the event as follows:
"Yesterday, the City of Nablus began the rehabilitation and renovation of the demolished parts of 'Joseph's Tomb' . It is important to note that heavy damage was caused to the tomb and to a large number of nearby structures during these disturbances, in the wake of the shootings by the occupation forces which are concentrated on Mounts Grizim and Eival, and because of their use of heavy machine guns." [Al Ayyam, 10 October 2000]