POLITICAL COMMENTARIES
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DENIAL AND HYPOCRISY Quite often, Arab leaders and especially the Egyptians publicly wash their hands from violent measures taken by the Palestinians. Even, the Palestinians upon meeting with high level aides at The White House, denounce terrorism acts. But their public statements as published in the Arab media are quite different. Some messages and commentaries are regularly reinforced and elaborated upon by editors in the Arab media. For instance, political analysts at AL JAZERRA, AL AKBAAR, AL SAFIR and AL AHRAM stated that regardless of their positions vis-à-vis the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, the Palestinian factions maintain good relations with Egypt and want to keep it that way. If asked, the factions would all reply that only harm could come from attempting to rock the economic or political stability of Egypt. More importantly, Palestinian political organizations have made it clear that they will not target Israeli citizens abroad. Disengaging from violence of any sort against civilians in nations outside Palestine was a wise decision, in spite of the fact that the Israelis have not responded in kind. The editorial included this irrational interpretation of political analysis. It goes like this: " The Sinai bombings offer Sharon an historic opportunity to promote tighter security coordination in the region and provide a justification for linking security coordination with economic and political interests. The response of Egyptian public opinion to the Luxor attacks of 1994 was sufficiently vehement to alter the course of fundamentalist violence, compelling many organizations to modify their thinking. If this was the case when the perpetrators were Egyptian, imagine the reaction when such attacks are linked to non-Egyptian groups? HOW THE ARAB MEDIA EXPLAIN THE REACTION OF ARABS TERRORISTS According to the Arab media, it would be impossible to misconstrue the reaction of Egyptian public opinion to the Sinai operations and, in spite of the Egyptian government's attempts to play down the magnitude and causes of the bombings in order to prevent panic in the tourist industry, you can be sure that it is taking the matter very seriously. In addition, the Arab media , intentionally misinterprets facts and brings constants complaints against Israel in public gathering, forum, discussions and editorials. The latest unconceivable Arab explanation of the Sinai bombings and Israel security cooperation as published in numerous Arab newspapers confused the Arab readers and encouraged them to distrust any peace effort by Israel. One of the most illustrative editorials contained illogical analysis of what really happened in Sinai and what really the Israeli intentions are. It goes like this: " The first reaction of Israeli ministers was to hurl criticism at Egypt for being slow to allow in Israeli rescue workers. Such inanities and fictions are concocted for media consumption in times of public hysteria. Sharon quickly put a cap on that, reproaching his ministers for their pettiness and reiterating his opinion, and that of "experts", that had the victims all been Egyptian the Egyptian authorities could not have acted more competently, this is their capacity. Here was an opportunity for Sharon to extend his embrace to Egypt over the matter of security coordination in the fight against terrorism. He told his ministers to swallow their knee-jerk responses and keep their opinions about Egypt to themselves.
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Israel, as we all know, uses terrorism as a blanket term. And now, acting on Sharon's directives, Israeli ministers are suddenly singing Egypt's praises in the hope of flattering Cairo into closer security cooperation, even if that means meeting the Egyptian demand to amend the Camp David peace treaty to permit for a stronger Egyptian military presence in Sinai. Whether or not Egypt responds to these overtures, Israel has seized upon the Sinai bombings to step up its drive to establish a network of bilateral security cooperation links in the region, while simultaneously sustaining its brutal assault on Gaza. " CLIMATE OF WEARINESS Some Arab newspapers kept the subject off the front page on the first day of the operation while others placed it towards the bottom of that page. Political commentators in leading Arab newspapers and Arab news agencies explain: "This suggests a drive to manufacture a climate of weariness over the Palestinian cause, to engineer fatigue among Arab public opinion. The only non-wearying items that appear newsworthy these days are discussions within the Palestinian leadership, or about the Palestinian leadership and possible candidates. This, for some reason, seems a perennially exciting subject. And it allows the Palestinian cause, and Israeli crime, to be reduced to a constant focus on the role of the Palestinian leadership and the need to change it. Those who would advise the Palestinians have tired of everything but harping on this crisis. They remain doggedly persistent. The core of the Arab editorial is basically and essentially to portray the Israelis as constant aggressors. This month, the Arab media placed a strong emphasis on "Israeli crimes" which according to editorials published in AL SAFIR, AL AHRAM and in AL JAZEERA Arab news edition on line " They appear nothing but a secondary detail, Israeli declarations that they will wreak vengeance on Palestinian society as a means to pressure the factions into halting their military operations fall on deaf ears. The official American definition of terrorism, as defined in the Patriot Act, holds that terrorism is "to subject American civilians to acts of violence with the intent of influencing the policy of their government". Well, Tel Aviv has made it abundantly clear that it is bombarding Palestinians in order to influence the policy of their leadership. But the US vetoed a security council decision condemning Israeli aggression in Gaza. And what is the Arab stand on this? You won't find out in the Arab press." PRAISING THE US AND ISRAEL-ARAB PEACE EFFORTS IN OFFICIAL MEETINGS, WHILE ATTACKING THE US AND ISRAEL IN THEIR ARAB NEWSPAPERS Several editorials in the Arab press in Lebanon, Syria and Egypt wrote that there was a time when Arabs spoke about American phases in the region. There was a Truman phase, a Kissinger phase, a Carter phase and a Baker phase. Perhaps Arabs should now talk of a Sharon phase, a phase of Israeli schemes and projects. Its most salient features are to be found in the military and political structures and operations required to marginalize the Palestinian cause, even in the Arab world, making the disengagement plan the only available alternative, with no roadmaps or even detours. The Arab media is placing a strong emphasis on the so-called "Israeli phase". Several commentaries on the front page of major Arab newspapers characterized the "Israeli Phase" as a series of attempts to internationalize the Congress approved boycott of Syria. ARAB FALSIFICATIONS OF FACTS AND INTENTIONS OF ISRAEL The overwhelming number of articles published in the Arab media between October 1st and October 18Th, and geared toward distorting the intention of Israel added more confusion in the mind of ordinary Arab citizens. Editorials and articles in Arab Gulf area and Middle East newspapers claimed that Israel has no intention -whatsoever- to bring peace to the region.
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