MEDIA WATCH: DO YOU BELIEVE?

Palestinian Media Watch

Israel poisoned Arafat
PA libel lives on
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

The PA has been disseminating the libel that Israel poisoned Yasser Arafat since Arafat's death five years ago. This accusation was reiterated this month at events commemorating the anniversary of his death.

At an official Fatah-PLO commemoration of the anniversary of Arafat's death, held in Beirut and broadcast live on PA TV, Fatah Central Committee member Sultan Abu Al-Einein said:

"They [Israelis] killed the Shahid (Martyr) Yasser Arafat by poisoning, under the pretext of [fighting] terror."

[PA TV (Fatah), Nov. 15, 2009]

To view Sultan Abu Al-Einein accusing Israel of poisoning Arafat, click here.

Earlier this year, MP and senior Fatah leader Muhammad Dahlan also accused Israel of killing the former PA Chairman:

"I think that we're at the end of a process of abuse of the [Fatah] movement. Israel started it with the ruining of the Fatah movement and the ruining of the Palestinian Authority and its institutions, and the killing of Chairman Yasser Arafat."
[PA TV (Fatah), July 22, 2009]

To view Muhammad Dahlan charging Israel with killing Arafat, click here.

Earlier this week, PMW reported on another official PA commemoration of Arafat's death in Ramallah. It featured prerecorded hate messages from Palestinian children, including the repeated accusation that Israel poisoned Arafat.

To view PMW's bulletin on Palestinian children's hate speech, click here.

The following is the transcript of excerpts of the children's hate speech at the PA's official Arafat memorial:

Ceremony host: "Blessings to Yasser Arafat, and here are messages from the children of Palestine."

Boy: "I was very, very sad when Arafat died as a Shahid (Martyr), because he was a good man and he was a fighter. He did things through struggle, he participated in the struggle and did not make peace and so on. He wanted to fight."

Boy 2: "He [Arafat] stood up to all the enemies and was not afraid of anyone. And anyone who approached - he managed to stop him. All the Jews and the Israelis and the people who are against us, were afraid of him. When he died, he died of poisoning."

Girl wearing pendant in the shape of Israel: "I say that he died from poisoning by the Jews. That's what I say."

Boy 3: "Arafat used to say: "They want me dead, they want me prisoner, but I say to them: Martyr! Martyr! Martyr!"

Girl 2: "He [Arafat] was our former president. He was under siege in Ramallah, and when he was under siege we were very upset. The Jews poisoned him and I hate them very much. Allah will repay them what they deserve."

Boy 4: "He [Arafat] died from poisoning by the Jews. Well, I don't know what he died from, but I know it was by the Jews."

Boy 5: "They destroyed his whole house and he was left in one room and in the end the Jews poisoned him and blamed someone else."
[PA TV (Fatah), Nov. 10, 2009]

To view PMW's bulletin documenting five years of the ongoing libel that Israel murdered Arafat, click here.