ABBAS REGIME DELAYS
ELECTIONS, CONTINUES ANTI-US INCITEMENT
By Dr. Michael Widlanski,
JERUSALEM. Special to the World Jewish News
Agency by Dr. Aaron Lerner and IMRA - Independent Media
Review and Analysis. Website:
www.imra.org.il Israel.
Dr. Michael Widlanski is a specialist in Arab politics and
communication whose doctorate dealt with the Palestinian broadcast
media. He is a former reporter, correspondent and editor,
respectively, at The New York Times ,The Cox Newspapers-Atlanta
Constitution, and The Jerusalem Post.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas announced Saturday the
indefinite postponement of the Palestinian legislative elections in
what was widely seen as a political maneuver designed to help Abbas's
faltering Fatah movement reorganize against the surging extremist
Islamic Hamas organization. The postponement came only one week after
Abbas's visit to the United States where he was hailed by the Bush
Administration as a moderate political reformer and harbinger of Arab
democratization, even as Abbas's state-controlled media have tried to
emphasize their own Islamic character. Abbas's announcement came one
day after a senior mosque preacher employed by Abbas again attacked
the United States for leading "aggression against all Islamic peoples"
during a speech broadcast on Palestinian state radio. "Iran is facing
direct American threats because of its nuclear program, and we read
in the press how [Israeli] settlers who want to enter Al-Aqsa,"
declared Sheikh Youssef Abu-Sneina in the radio speech from the Al-Aqsa
Mosque in Jerusalem. "How can Muslims live in the Western countries
these days, and how can they be attacked solely for being Muslims"
asked Sheikh Youssef Abu-Sneina, in a speech broadcast from the Al-Aqsa
Mosque on Voice of Palestine Radio. "Our people have realized that
there will be no end to it until the rule of Islam returns to the
land," declared Abu-Sneina, who is employed by the Palestinian
Authority (PA). During his speech, Abu-Sneina also hammered at the
theme that American forces repressed Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq
as well as deliberately desecrating Islamic sites and copies of the
Quran, Islam's scripture. This theme has been repeated
systematically in the Abbas-controlled Palestinian press for three
weeks and in at least half a dozen mosque speeches by Abu-Sneina,
Jerusalem Mufti Ikrema Sabry and Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris--all
broadcast on television and radio even after the charges of Quran
desecration were retracted by Newsweek magazine. Abbas has tried to channel Islamic
fervor in his own direction and not to confront the Hamas movement
directly, hoping for a change in fortunes after the Israeli withdrawal
from Gaza scheduled for August, one month after the date originally
set for Palestinian elections. It is now expected that the elections
will be scheduled to follow the Israeli withdrawal, allowing Abbas to
take credit for it. At the same time, the move will allow Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to avoid the appearance of turning
Israeli settlements to the hands of Hamas which is pledged to destroy
Israel. "There was no choice but to delay the elections until action
is completed by the legislature," declared Dr. Abbas who heads the
Fatah movement, the PLO and the Palestinian Authority, explaining that
the Palestinian legislature had not completed the election law during
weeks of deliberations. But in an appearance Saturday on Palestinian
television, Deputy PA Prime Minister Nabil Sha'ath suggested that
there were deeper factors behind the Abbas postponement of the
elections. "There was worry in the Fatah movement about our political
program and the entire Palestinian struggle that have been in effect
for the past 30 years, and this struggle and this program will
continue," asserted Dr. Sha'ath. His reference to the 30-year program
of the Fatah appeared to be a reference to the 1974 "Program of
Stages" under which the PLO said it would conquer all Israeli-held
territory by a sequence of diplomatic and military moves.
Review of Today's PA Media:
Abbas Charges Israel With War Crimes
From Palestinian Authority Radio
(The Voice of Palestine): PA Prime Minister Ahmad Qreia (nicknamed Abu
Ala) condemned in the strongest terms the resumption of the Israeli
policy of assassinations (VOP radio, 4PM-Jerusalem Time), and accused
Israel of war crimes. Meanwhile, Qreia and the Palestinian broadcast
media apparently made no condemnation or comment concerning the rocket
attacks earlier in the day (Tuesday) on the town of Sderot, though
they did mention that two people were killed and several wounded by a
Palestinian mortar attack [which turned out to be a short-range Qassam
rocket] on the Israeli settlement of
Ganei Tal inside Gaza: "This is a grave war crime", VOP radio
quoted Qreia, who added, "this endangers the tahdiyya" a reference to
the on-again-off-again Palestinian "cooling-off period" of not
attacking Israelis. Qreia was responding to an Israeli attack on a
house in Qabatya where several armed operatives of the Islamic Jihad
were holed up, and in which two armed were killed [Note: Israel says
that the Islamic Jihad in the northern part of the West Bank is
continuing the planning and execution of terror attacks,
including the February bombing in Tel Aviv and the abortive human
bombing in Jerusalem last week. See also bottom radio item
below]. VOP identified the dead men as Murawah Kmeil and Nasser
Abdel-Rahim Zakarna, and it pronounced them "martyrs". Earlier
in the day, Chief Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiator Saeb
Arikat said the Palestinians rejected Ariel Sharon's comment that
Jerusalem would remain "Israeli property" [mulk israli] under a
permanent settlement. Voice of Palestine radio interviewed Arikat in
the morning and quoted him at length in its Tuesday morning (June 7)
and afternoon broadcasts. VOP radio noted with approval that the US
Department had opposed new Israeli settlement activities and
expansions, citing comments by David Welch. PA Civilian Affairs
Minister Muhammad Dahlan charged Israel with being phony and insincere
in its preparations for the Gaza withdrawal during meetings last night
that were quoted today on VOP radio. The official PA radio station
also featured an interview with PA Minister Ghassan al-Khatib charging
Israel with forging maps and documents regarding the map determinants
of the Gaza Strip, in order to keep some settlers in Gaza. There was
no mention during the VOP morning broadcasts of the four rocket
attacks on Sderot inside Israel in the VOP reports, but the mid-day
reports cited "three martyrs" in fighting in Rafah and in Qabatya near
Jenin.
PBC TELEVISION: In its morning reports, PBC led with a re-run
of yesterday's afternoon news showing PA Prime Minister Ahmad Qreia
(Abu Ala) accusing Israel of invading the Temple Mount, during a PA
cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Ahmad Qreia asserted that the attempt
by Israel to invade Jerusalem [Arabic: beit al-maqdas] was fraught
with danger, the report reiterated. PBC television then moved to PLO
Chairman Abbas's comments on the issue. "President Abbas demanded that
Israel to stop its dangerous violations of the Al Aqsa Mosque led by
Jewish extremists acting under the protection of the Israeli
police". Abbas was shown checking the matriculation exam papers of
Palestinian students and making comments to a crowd outside a school:
"It is incumbent on Israel and the international community to
put a stop to these dangerous violations", Abbas said.
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FROM PALESTINIAN NEWSPAPERS: Al-Quds (lead item):
CONFRONTATIONS IN AL-AQSA COURTYARD BETWEEN THE WORSHIPERS AND THE
POLICE FOLLOWING PERMISSION GIVEN TO JEWISH EXTREMISTS TO ENTER THE
JERUSALEM SHRINE [top of page picture showing Israeli forces using
tear gas]. Lower down on front page: Pres. Abbas and PM Qreia Warn of
Dangerous Attempts to Invade Al-Aqsa and to Destroy Homes in Silwan
Al-Ayyam: ANGRY MASSES PROTECT JERUSALEM SHRINE, CHASING JEWISH GROUPS
FROM ITS COURTYARD: ON DAY OF JUDAIZATION OF JERUSALEM UNDER THE
OCCUPATION Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda: NEW TERROR ATTEMPT TO INVADE AL-AQSA
ENDS IN FAILURE [shows tear gas picture similar to Al-Quds] Al-Hayat
cartoon shows Sharon as papa-duck followed by George Bush chickadee in
pond:
http://www.alhayat-j.com/char.php?cid=98 REPORT COMPILED BY
MICHAEL WIDLANSKI ASSOCIATES. COMMISSIONED BY THE CENTER FOR NEAR EAST
POLICY RESEARCH.
REPORT COMPILED BY DR. MICHAEL WIDLANSKI. COMMISSIONED
BY THE CENTER FOR NEAR EAST POLICY RESEARCH. By Michael Widlanski
Voice of Palestine radio broke into its regular programming (10AM) to
announce that Israeli troops and Jewish extremists were invading
Islamic holy places on the Temple Mount. Later on, Palestinian
television opened its afternoon news broadcast with a report showing
PA Prime Minister Ahmad Qreia (Abu 'Ala) accusing Israel of invading
the Temple Mount, during a PA cabinet meeting. "Prime Minister Ahmad
Qreia asserted that the attempt by Israel to invade Jerusalem
[Arabic: beit al-maqdas] was fraught with danger," announced Muhammad
Yassin, the senior PBC anchorman. Qreia was quoted as saying that
Israel was escalating plans to Judaize Jerusalem, and he cited the
destruction of "hundreds of homes" in the Silwan neighborhood. "Every
month there is another attempt to invade the Al-Aqsa mosque,"
asserted Prime Minister Qreia, wagging his finger. Throughout the
afternoon hours of the day, VOP radio continued to broadcast that the
Al-Aqsa shrine area (meaning both the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa)
was being invaded by Israeli soldiers and Jewish extremists.
Palestinian rock-throwers injured several Jewish visitors and
policemen
during several hours of clashes. Meanwhile, Palestinian television
continued to promote continuing
demonstrations against Israeli fence-building operations.
FROM PALESTINIAN NEWSPAPERS:
"JERUSALEM PERSONALITIES CALL FOR THE DEFENSE OF AL-AQSA AGAINST
THE INVASION OF JEWISH EXTREMISTS." This was the main headline
in Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda. The paper also featured a front-page
picture of man in a field protesting what was said to have been
Israeli bulldozing of his olive trees near the village of Marda near
Nablus. In a separate article, 30 people were reported to have been
wounded in demonstrations against Israeli fence-building in Salfit and
other areas. Meanwhile, Al-Quds led with a picture of an
Israeli soldier, sitting near a Palestinian detained in the Hebron
area, sticking his tongue out at the camera. Al-Quds also
features a picture of a bedraggled Saddam Hussein atop an article
saying the former Iraqi leader will face 12 charges at his coming
trial. This newspaper also featured a story that, in 1967, Ariel
Sharon threatened to execute a coup d'etat against the Israeli
government, unless it decided to go to war.
June 5 2005---Sunday
Palestinian television led its news broadcasts Sunday with the news
that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas had issued a decree on Saturday
(June 4) delaying the legislative elections indefinitely. Dr. Abbas,
who heads the Fatah Movement, the PLO, as well as the Palestinian
Authority (PA), said a decision on a day for the elections,
originally set for July, would come after talks with HAMAS and
others. Both PA leader Abbas and Deputy PA Prime Minister Nabil
Sha'ath indicated that Fatah was prepared to agree to having
half the legislature chosen on a district level with the other half
chosen on a proportional basis of at-large seats. "The Hamas movement
completely rejects the postponement of the elections, which is
contrary to the Cairo Agreement," asserted Sami Abu-Zuhri, a Hamas
spokesman interviewed on PBC television. He referred to the
agreements between Abbas, Hamas and Islamic Jihad regarding elections
and a "cooling-off" period in attacking Israelis. The Hamas spokesman
said Abbas's decision was based on internal Fatah difficulties, he
hinted it was due to a Fatah desire to gain more time to get ready for
the elections at a time when there are strong indications that Hamas
may be stronger than Fatah believed. "This came because of the
internal situation inside Fatah, and it has nothing to do with
national Palestinian considerations," declared Abu-Zuhri. But Fatah
officials in the legislature echoed Abbas's comments yesterday that
the postponement was based on logistical difficulties in getting the
election law passed-so that there would be at least two months between
passage and voting. "We just need more time to get through the
bnecessary proceedings," said Abdul-Karim Abu-Salah, chairman of the
PA Legislature's Legal Committee.
FROM PALESTINIAN NEWSPAPERS:
Al-Ayyam led
its coverage with news of the election postponement as well as a
picture of Palestinian and foreign demonstrators pushing and shoving
with Israeli soldiers in the village of Salfit, protesting Israeli
fence-building operations. Al-Quds showed an almost identical lay-out
and coverage. It featured a picture of Israeli soldiers linking arms
in front of flag-waving demonstrators (some with Hebrew banners) near
the city of Nablus. This newspaper's cartoon made fun of the election
postponement, showing a man trying to hold back the hands of a clock.
A somewhat similar theme was shown in a cartoon in Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda,
where a member of the current legislature is seen dancing for joy at
the thought of election delays.
Al-Hayat June 5,
2005
[see
http://www.alhayat-j.com/pdf/5/page24.pdf] Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda
provided almost identical news coverage and pictures at the top
of its front page, and its lead headline was "THE PRESIDENT DELAYS
THE LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS UNTIL LEGAL PROCEDURES AND NATIONAL
PROGRAMS ARE COMPLETED."
Recap of June3-4, 2005-Friday, Saturday-The official Palestinian
Authority (PA) broadcast media promoted what they called "fence
resistance" in the form of a "peaceful march" and public Friday
prayer assembly led by Sheikh Taysir Tamimi of the PA Waqf Ministry.
In a prominent red box on its front page, Al-Quds ran notices of the
scheduled marches at Bil'in, Salfit and at other sites, and PA radio
and television urged protesters to join the demonstrations for several
hours on Friday morning. Al- Ayyam ran a cartoon on Thursday
showing Palestinians blocking an Israeli bulldozer slated to
destroy illegal housing. [see
http://www.al-ayyam.com/znews/site/template/caricature.aspx?cid=324]
[Al-Ayyam June 2, 2005] After the protest, PBC
television showed sign of protesters waving banners in
English-"Uproot Settlers, Not Trees"-and being carried away by
soldiers. But there were no pictures of violence at the protest site
at the village of Bil'in during which an Israeli soldier was
blinded in one eye when it was shattered by a rock thrown by one of
the demonstrators. The use of the term 'muqawamat al-jidr' -FENCE
RESISTANCE-suggests something more than non-violent behavior, because
"muqawama"-resistance-is usually a term from the Palestinian political
lexicon that is used in a violent setting.
Palestinian television, radio and newspapers reported that
Mahmoud Abbas was in good health following minor surgery.
POSTPONING THE ELECTIONS
"There was no choice but to delay the elections until action is
completed by the legislature," declared Dr. Abbas in a television
interview Saturday afternoon (June 4). He explained that the
Palestinian legislature had not completed the election law during
weeks of deliberations. But Deputy PA Prime Minister Nabil Sha'ath
suggested deeper factors behind the Abbas postponement of the
elections. "There was worry in the Fatah movement about our political
program and the entire Palestinian struggle that have been in
effect for the past 30 years, and this struggle and this program will
continue," asserted Dr. Sha'ath. His reference to the 30-year program
of the Fatah appeared to be a reference to the 1974 "Program of
Stages" under which the PLO said it would conquer all Israeli-held
territory by a sequence of diplomatic and military moves.
BACKGROUND ANALYSIS: HAMAS-PLO RELATIONS
Abbas has tried to channel Islamic fervor in his own direction and not
to confront the Hamas movement directly, hoping for a change in
fortunes after the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza scheduled for August,
one month after the date originally set for Palestinian elections.
Abbas continues to reach out to Hamas, and his top leaders suggest
that there is nothing fundamentally different about the final aims of
Fatah and Hamas, but that Fatah is more able to get things done.
Deputy PA Prime Minister Sha'ath's comment on the "30-year program"
of the Fatah is similar to one made in February on VOP radio by
Yasser Abd-Rabo (a close advisor of Abbas and member of elite PLO
Executive) that Hamas and Fatah share a program of staged goals.
FRIDAY MOSQUE SPEECH-JUNE 3, 2005
The radio-broadcast speech from the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem was
given by Sheikh Youssef Abu-Sneina, and it was devoted to long attack
on Israel on the 38th anniversary of the June 1967 war. He attacked
Israel for "the unpardonable crime" of destroying illegally-built
homes in the neighborhood of Silwan, referring to this as part of "the
Judaization of Jerusalem." Another part of the mosque speech
attacked America and the West. "Iran is facing direct American threats
because of its nuclear program, and we read in the press how
[Israeli] settlers who want to enter Al-Aqsa," declared Sheikh
Youssef Abu-Sneina. "How can Muslims live in the Western countries
these days, and how can they be attacked solely for being Muslims"
asked Sheikh Youssef Abu-Sneina, in a speech broadcast from the Al-Aqsa
Mosque on Voice of Palestine Radio. "Our people have realized that
there will be no end to it until the rule of Islam returns to the
land," declared Abu-Sneina, who is employed by the Palestinian
Authority (PA). During his speech, Abu-Sneina also hammered
at the theme that American forces repressed Muslims in Afghanistan and
Iraq as well as deliberately desecrating Islamic sites and copies
of the Quran, Islam's scripture. On the other hand, the
televised mosque address from Gaza was a rather staid analysis about
family and belief in God, and the speech was not given by Sheikh
Ibrahim Mudeiris, a known supporter of Al-Qaeda who has called for
attacking Jews in his recent broadcast speeches. Deputy PA Prime
Minister castigated Shekh Mudeiris's attacks on Jews in a television
appearance on May 18.
FROM PALESTINIAN NEWSPAPERS:
The front pages of all three dailies-Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat
al-Jadeeda-all showed released Palestinian prison convicts
praying at the grave of Yasser Arafat, with flowers draped on
portraits of the late Palestinian leader.
Dr. Michael Widlanski is a specialist in Arab politics and
communication whose doctorate dealt with the Palestinian broadcast
media. He is a former reporter, correspondent and editor,
respectively, at The New York Times, The Cox Newspapers-Atlanta
Constitution, and The Jerusalem Post. Via IMRA - Independent Media
Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
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