The official Palestinian Authority news agency, Wafa, reported extensively on the IDF retaliatory actions in Gaza, which destroyed many buildings used by PLO militiamen and gun runners. One interesting feature of the PA reporting is the prominence given to Israeli leftist commentary on the Gaza operation, which is consistently referred to as a ?war crime? and likened to the Holocaust.
The PA devoted one report solely to statements condemning Israeli policy, which were made by former Education Minister Shulamit Aloni during her recent visit to Ramallah (see ?Shula in Ramallah? in this week?s Arab Press Review for more). In another Wafa article, the PA mouthpiece reports that Israeli academics and scholars ?burst with anger and rage on the Israeli Governments actions.? The same report, claiming to borrow a description from ?the respectful Israeli newspaper ?Ha'aretz?,? called the Gaza retaliatory actions ?barbaric, shameful and a war crime, which targets the depth of the human soul and conscious [sic], in an era where the symptoms of the state terror and occupations have faded out to an extinguishing point except for Israel.?
Such Israeli commentary is seen to serve an important purpose in the international relations of the PLO, as well. ?Palestinian pens and pencils might be tired for repeatedly asking the USA to be honest, Just and fair mediator, and not to support Sharon in his war against us,? the Wafa article states, ?therefore this time we will retire our pens from working, putting the USA face to face with the raging Israeli scholars moved by the terrifying war crime in Rafah??
The PA news agency provides its own analysis of the Israeli leftist reaction to the IDF operation, as well, saying that while ?Sharon might care not about the history and how he will be pictured in the future, for he is? an outstanding war criminal, but this history mean something to the Israeli Elite of scholars and a certain layer of the Israeli politicians, that are not obsessed yet with the Israeli fundamentalism and the extreme right political opinions.? This ?Israeli Elite,? the article explains, feels embarrassed by ?[t]he deeds of the Israeli occupying forces who take orders from [Prime Minister] Sharon and [Defense Minister] Bin Eliezer? and is ?caught by the memories of the first holocaust, the signs of the current holocaust conducted by the Israeli government and the future history of the Jews that will register these barbaric, shameful and war crimes.?
The PA news agency concludes its analysis of Israeli leftist commentary by saying, ?The Israeli Elite is ringing the danger bell that might not affect the Israeli street's opinion, this street that is dragged by the Sharon lies of security, false weapon ship, and alleged self defense, yet this danger bell was not for the sake of the Palestinians,? the Wafa article continues, almost echoing one of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak?s campaign slogans, ?but for the sake of the Israeli children's future.?
The PA devoted one report solely to statements condemning Israeli policy, which were made by former Education Minister Shulamit Aloni during her recent visit to Ramallah (see ?Shula in Ramallah? in this week?s Arab Press Review for more). In another Wafa article, the PA mouthpiece reports that Israeli academics and scholars ?burst with anger and rage on the Israeli Governments actions.? The same report, claiming to borrow a description from ?the respectful Israeli newspaper ?Ha'aretz?,? called the Gaza retaliatory actions ?barbaric, shameful and a war crime, which targets the depth of the human soul and conscious [sic], in an era where the symptoms of the state terror and occupations have faded out to an extinguishing point except for Israel.?
Such Israeli commentary is seen to serve an important purpose in the international relations of the PLO, as well. ?Palestinian pens and pencils might be tired for repeatedly asking the USA to be honest, Just and fair mediator, and not to support Sharon in his war against us,? the Wafa article states, ?therefore this time we will retire our pens from working, putting the USA face to face with the raging Israeli scholars moved by the terrifying war crime in Rafah??
The PA news agency provides its own analysis of the Israeli leftist reaction to the IDF operation, as well, saying that while ?Sharon might care not about the history and how he will be pictured in the future, for he is? an outstanding war criminal, but this history mean something to the Israeli Elite of scholars and a certain layer of the Israeli politicians, that are not obsessed yet with the Israeli fundamentalism and the extreme right political opinions.? This ?Israeli Elite,? the article explains, feels embarrassed by ?[t]he deeds of the Israeli occupying forces who take orders from [Prime Minister] Sharon and [Defense Minister] Bin Eliezer? and is ?caught by the memories of the first holocaust, the signs of the current holocaust conducted by the Israeli government and the future history of the Jews that will register these barbaric, shameful and war crimes.?
The PA news agency concludes its analysis of Israeli leftist commentary by saying, ?The Israeli Elite is ringing the danger bell that might not affect the Israeli street's opinion, this street that is dragged by the Sharon lies of security, false weapon ship, and alleged self defense, yet this danger bell was not for the sake of the Palestinians,? the Wafa article continues, almost echoing one of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak?s campaign slogans, ?but for the sake of the Israeli children's future.?