Itamar Marcus, director of the Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) organization, told Arutz-7 radio this week that the press in the Palestinian Authority has taken a revolutionary turn: a few columns have appeared publicly criticizing PLO leader Yasser Arafat. The articles come in the wake of violent clashes between various armed factions in the PA on the background of structural corruption in Arafat's ruling apparatus.
"The truth is that there is something new in the world of Palestinian media, truly something that we have not seen in the past - that there are articles that express opposition to Yasser Arafat," Marcus said, "And that is actually something that points to weakness."
However, Marcus noted, most of the PA press is supportive of Arafat and the PA media still blames Israel for the ongoing conflict in the Arab-controlled areas. For example, PMW reported that the PA newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida of July 21 declared, "During recent days the Israeli propaganda apparatus has been working intensively creating news and information, and creating a picture of security anarchy in the Gaza Strip, which the [Palestinian] National Authority cannot control nor restrain. The Israeli journalists followed this line of propaganda to come out with strange analyses and false conclusions that warn of the collapse of the [Palestinian] National Authority." The article, explained Marcus, went on to say that the picture of chaos in the PA is Israeli propaganda meant to distract the world community from the International Court of Justice's decision regarding the Jude and Samaria security fence.
"On the other hand," Itamar Marcus said, "there are definitely other articles, which express opposition." As an example, the PMW director pointed out that the editor of the same Al-Hayat Al-Jadida recently wrote the following: "What is needed is a bloodless overthrow, which Yasser Arafat will execute against Arafat Yasser, if he wants to avoid a bloody overthrow by others...."
When asked by Arutz-7 if the editor doesn't fear for his life, Mr. Marcus said, "It appears that the Fatah [Arafat's terrorist organization] is weakened to the point that such a thing could be published even by an editor that he himself appointed five or six years ago. Such that something is happening in the Palestinian Authority; there is a weakness that we have not seen in the past."
With an eye to the development of such criticism of Arafat, Itamar Marcus said, "If those expressing such opposition begin to fall... it may well be that they will stop writing such things."
While most articles are not as directed at Arafat as that of the aforementioned editor, they do treat the matter of internal strife as a major problem worthy of critical review. At the same time, Marcus noted, the PA television is broadcasting "many, many video clips supportive of Arafat." The television is wall-to-wall behind Arafat, the PMW director summarized.
Itamar Marcus' analysis of Arafat's position in the PA is that the Arabs under the PA thumb know well that Arafat and his cronies are corrupt, but the terror war Arafat launched in 2000 was designed to draw the attention of the Arab street away from that fact - which it successfully did. However, now that the Oslo War is dying down, Marcus said, the Arab dissatisfaction is coming to the surface again. "This should have happened four years ago," the media watchdog concluded.
"The truth is that there is something new in the world of Palestinian media, truly something that we have not seen in the past - that there are articles that express opposition to Yasser Arafat," Marcus said, "And that is actually something that points to weakness."
However, Marcus noted, most of the PA press is supportive of Arafat and the PA media still blames Israel for the ongoing conflict in the Arab-controlled areas. For example, PMW reported that the PA newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida of July 21 declared, "During recent days the Israeli propaganda apparatus has been working intensively creating news and information, and creating a picture of security anarchy in the Gaza Strip, which the [Palestinian] National Authority cannot control nor restrain. The Israeli journalists followed this line of propaganda to come out with strange analyses and false conclusions that warn of the collapse of the [Palestinian] National Authority." The article, explained Marcus, went on to say that the picture of chaos in the PA is Israeli propaganda meant to distract the world community from the International Court of Justice's decision regarding the Jude and Samaria security fence.
"On the other hand," Itamar Marcus said, "there are definitely other articles, which express opposition." As an example, the PMW director pointed out that the editor of the same Al-Hayat Al-Jadida recently wrote the following: "What is needed is a bloodless overthrow, which Yasser Arafat will execute against Arafat Yasser, if he wants to avoid a bloody overthrow by others...."
When asked by Arutz-7 if the editor doesn't fear for his life, Mr. Marcus said, "It appears that the Fatah [Arafat's terrorist organization] is weakened to the point that such a thing could be published even by an editor that he himself appointed five or six years ago. Such that something is happening in the Palestinian Authority; there is a weakness that we have not seen in the past."
With an eye to the development of such criticism of Arafat, Itamar Marcus said, "If those expressing such opposition begin to fall... it may well be that they will stop writing such things."
While most articles are not as directed at Arafat as that of the aforementioned editor, they do treat the matter of internal strife as a major problem worthy of critical review. At the same time, Marcus noted, the PA television is broadcasting "many, many video clips supportive of Arafat." The television is wall-to-wall behind Arafat, the PMW director summarized.
Itamar Marcus' analysis of Arafat's position in the PA is that the Arabs under the PA thumb know well that Arafat and his cronies are corrupt, but the terror war Arafat launched in 2000 was designed to draw the attention of the Arab street away from that fact - which it successfully did. However, now that the Oslo War is dying down, Marcus said, the Arab dissatisfaction is coming to the surface again. "This should have happened four years ago," the media watchdog concluded.