Saturday, May 15, 2004
JPost: Arafat calls on Palestinians to terrorize enemy
In a speech broadcast live on Palestinian television, Arafat repeatedly called on his people to be steadfast in their struggle against Israeli occupation.
He ended the speech with a quote from the Koran.
"Find what strength you have to terrorize your enemy and the enemy of God," he said. "And if they want peace, then let's have peace."
Arafat, whom Israel accuses of supporting militant groups, did not appear to be calling for new attacks on Israel. The passage in the Koran refers to the early Muslims' wars against pagans and is frequently invoked by Islamic leaders today to encourage strength in times of conflict...
You know what? That statement is also the kind of statement that the press used to routinely explain away before we started noticing that things had a nasty tendency to blow up as some people take them quite literally. I thought we were beyond these kinds of rationalizations. I see not. Well here is how I read it - that Arafat is quite openly condoning and encouraging the de rigeur vicious terror activity of the Palestinian Arabs' war. And before anyone accuses me of ignoring the fact that he followed it up with a call for peace, please consider what Yasser Arafat means by "peace," and what his goal for same might be.
Update as I write this: The Jerusalem Post has changed the article from an AP report to one written by its own reporter:
He said in his speech that the Israeli government could not exonerate itself from its moral, political and international responsibility for the tragedy that befell the Palestinian refugees.
"The right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes is a sacred and inalienable right that is internationally protected and endorsed," he said. "This right is heroically defended by the Palestinian people in the face of the Israeli occupation, colonization and against the Apartheid Wall of annexation and expansion and in defense of our Christian and Islamic sanctuaries."
Arafat concluded that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land is doomed to failure and accused Israel of waging a war of genocide against the Palestinians. He said the Palestinian struggle would continue until the liberation of Jerusalem...
Why, how dare he prejudice what should be the subject of negotiated final-status principles?!
From the Ha'aretz article:
Hey, now here I thought the PLO accepted Israel's existence now. Oh wait.
The Ha'aretz article states he ended the speech with the terror quote:
Always end on an up note, that's what I always say.
The JPost article is written by Toameh whom I saw speak recently by the way.