PLO AND PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DISAPPROVE OF TERROR STRIKE
By Michael Widlanski
September 01, 2010

As Israeli-Palestinian talks get started in Washington after last night's
terrorist murder of four Israelis near Hebron south of Jerusalem, the
Palestinian Authority referred to the attack as a "military operation" in
its English language web site.

( http://english.wafa.ps/?action=detail&id=14713 ) and in its Arabic web
sites and programs.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Palestinian leaders
"condemned" what it called "the operation" because the PLO and the
Palestinian Authority opposed "any acts against Palestinian or Israeli
civilians." ( http://www1.wafa.ps/arabic/index.php?action=detail&id=84523
AND http://www1.wafa.ps/arabic/index.php?action=detail&id=84535 )

In essence, Palestinian leaders issued a limited and conditional warranty on
the so-called peace process by issuing a limited official new report that
was billed as a condemnation, when it really was not a condemnation.

The reports by the official PLO News Agency WAFA in Arabic and English, were
more interesting for what they did NOT include:

· Neither the comments by Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad in Ramallah
nor the comments by PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Washington called terror
attack "terror" or "an attack," preferring to use the term "operation"
(amaliyya ) and not "terror" (irhaab in Arabic) or "attack" (muhajama ).

· Neither statement condemned the perpetrators-the radical Islamic
movement, Hamas-by name or as terrorists, but only said that the "operation"
was "against Palestinian interests."

· Neither man was quoted at length directly, as the news agency
reported their comments as indirect summaries of their views.

Meanwhile, the Voice of Palestine radio station controlled by Abbas and
Fayyad repeatedly referred to the four Israeli murder victims as "settlers
from settlements built on Arab land."

Chairman Abbas, who is considered a "moderate," is very hesitant to condemn
Hamas directly for shooting at Israelis, and five years ago made public
statement in which he called on Hamas to unite with his Fatah organization,
saying, "let our rifles, all our rifles be aimed at the occupation (i.e.
Israel)".

Abbas is in Washington, where he is meeting President Barack Obama and
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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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. He has also
served as a special advisor to Israeli delegations to peace talks in
1991-1992 and as Strategic Affairs Advisor to the Ministry of Public
Security, editing secret PLO Archives captured in Jerusalem.