A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
Another Times Distortion

In today's Times, James Bennet implies the following criticism of Prime Minister Sharon's speech at yesterday's summit:

"It was perhaps significant that Mr. Sharon spoke in English, not in Hebrew. Israeli leaders have often accused Palestinian leaders, particularly Yasir Arafat, of speaking in English and not Arabic when they delivered messages that were popular with the Americans but not necessarily with their own people."

Bennet's point is absurd. Sharon spoke in English (just as King Abdullah did) because he was appearing before President Bush, and Israelis almost always speak English when before leaders of the United States. Furthermore, Sharon's recent statements in Hebrew have been even more dovish than anything he has said in English. For example, Sharon has - in Hebrew - repeatedly accepted the need to make "very painful concessions," accepted a Palestinian state, and referred to Israel's control of Judea and Samaria as a "kibush." Kibush can be as occupation, but seems closer to meaning "conquest."

In contrast, in Arabic speeches Arafat always has and continues to call for shaheeds (martyrs), refers to Israel as a colonial conspiracy, and glorifies suicide bombers. Most recently, as translated by MEMRI, Arafat stated as follows:

"The great imperialistic Zionist conspiracy against our Arab nation and our homeland Palestine, which began with the Zionist Congress in 1897 in Basel, Switzerland, reached its accursed peak on May 15, 1948. On this accursed day, the state of Israel was established by force of arms, as [the result of] imperialistic conspiracy, on the ruins of our homeland Palestine. Our people [were] strewn from our homeland, in exile, in the diaspora, and in the refugee camps by massacres... In 1947, the imperialistic forces that controlled the U.N. at that time forced the partition of our homeland, Palestine, into two states: one Palestinian Arab and one Israeli Jewish... Palestine is our homeland, the land of the battlefront and the holy land, our homeland and the homeland of our fathers and grandfathers, the homeland of our grandchildren and of the generations to come. Palestine is our homeland. It has no substitute, and we have no other homeland. Every Palestinian refugee looks forward to the day when he will embrace the homeland and restore its identity and the honor of the citizen in his homeland Palestine... our truth in this continuing struggle that we wage for the sake of our right to our homeland Palestine... 70,000 martyrs and wounded have fallen defending the homeland's freedom and independence and the places holy to Islam and Christianity. They have blessing and glory. They are among the martyrs and the saints, who are the best friends [of the martyrs] who improve [the land] with their blood for the sake of independence and freedom."
posted on 6/05/2003