Yassir Arafat,
frequently cited as the father of
modern-day terror, died one year ago. One would think that in
describing this man and his dark legacy, the
mainstream media would reflect the reality that marked his
rule. Instead, the media ignore the real impact this man
and his disastrous choices
have had on the region.
| |
Arafat said "No" to peace |
and "Yes" to more terror
|
Reuters states that Arafat failed "to realize his dream
of a Palestinian state." Yet Arafat was offered his
"dream" and rejected it. The article, heavy on the official
commemorations of Arafat, does not even mention the historic Camp
David Summit in which Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered
Arafat Gaza, a Jerusalem
capital, and a sizeable percentage of the West Bank. As former
American
President Bill Clinton said this week,
Arafat made a "colossal,
historical blunder" in not accepting Israel's offer.
Former
U.S. envoy Dennis
Ross offered this explanation at the time, "Arafat could not accept Camp David...
because when the conflict ends, the cause that defines Arafat
also ends."
A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE
Not only did Arafat reject Barak's offer, he launched a war of terror that has since
claimed the lives of over 1,000 Israelis and even more of
his own people. Typical of Reuters' assessment:
Arafat, a former guerrilla leader who won a Nobel Peace
Prize and the deep admiration of his people only to sink
into renewed conflict with Israel, left a complicated
legacy.
But Arafat did not passively "sink" into violence. He
consciously rejected the offer of a state and chose violence.
His legacy, as documented by HonestReporting
here, is far
from complicated. Under his "leadership," the PLO pioneered
the hallmarks of modern terrorism:
- hostage taking -- The Munich Olympics set a deadly
modern precedent
- airplane high-jacking -- Long before September 11, the
PLO had hijacked dozens of passenger jets;
- school massacres -- The horrific massacre in Chechenya
had its precedent in Israel
- suicide bombing -- Bombings in Iraq, Spain, London,
Kenya, Jordan and many places around the world today were
one the PLO's main weapons.
A LEGACY OF CORRUPTION
Meanwhile, Arafat stole hundreds of millions of dollars
that were supposed to help the people he claimed to champion.
The Palestinian Authority today is trying unsuccessfully to
deal with the rampant corruption that he institutionalized.
According to Issam Abu Issa, the former chairman of the
Palestine International Bank:
Rather than use donor funds for their intended purposes,
Arafat regularly diverted money to his own accounts. It is
amazing that some U.S. officials still see the Palestinian
Authority as a partner even after U.S. congressional records
revealed authenticated PLO papers signed by Arafat in which he
instructed his staff to divert donors' money to projects
benefiting himself, his family, and his associates. (Middle
East Quarterly)
What's so complicated about that legacy?
Comments to Reuters:
editor@reuters.com
The New York Times referred to the official
Palestinian commemorations in the Muqata, Arafat's
headquarters, in this manner:
Israel confined Mr. Arafat to the compound for most of
the last three years of his life, though he was treated at a
French military hospital for two weeks before his death on
Nov. 11, 2004. His funeral the next day at the Muqata was a
chaotic affair attended by tens of thousands of anguished
mourners.
After the Oslo Accords, Arafat was free to travel both
within the disputed territories and abroad. It was only after
repeated terrorist attacks, which were shown to be
supported directly by Arafat, that Israel
told him if he left his headquarters in Ramallah, he might not be allowed to return.
Comments to The New York Times:
letters@nytimes.com
The Washington Post also removes personal responsibility
from Arafat by noting that "Israel stopped regarding Arafat as
a partner after Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down in
late 2000 and a second Palestinian uprising erupted."
Both the
breakdown in talks and the spontaneous "eruption" of violence were direct
choices of Arafat. It is astonishing that the media have
chosen not to point out these basic facts.
Comments to The Washington Post:
letters@washpost.com
Perhaps
The Arab Times,
hardly an unbiased source, said it
best several years ago when they wrote:
He
(Arafat) has destroyed Palestine. He has led it to terrorism,
death and a hopeless situation... All Arab leaders know this
fact. It won't be possible for us to gain from the Middle East
road map for peace if this man remains in power.
MISPLACED HERO
This week, three suicide bombers blew up three hotels in
Amman, Jordan, killing 57 people, including many Palestinians.
Newsweek ran a story accompanied by the following picture. Look
carefully at the wall behind the family in mourning.
An HonestReporting subscriber wrote to us:
I can't help but notice the irony of these Palestinians
mourning the deaths of their relatives caused by the Jordanian
suicide bombers with a picture of the father of all suicide
bombers proudly displayed on the wall behind them.
We agree.
Strange that the reporter didn't find it appropriate to
mention this irony.
Palestinian members of the Al-Akhras clan gather in a mourning room in the West
Bank village of Silet-Al-Thaher to grieve over the loss of 17 relatives in the
Amman bombing.
Comments to Newsweek:
Letters@newsweek.com
Not all the media are guilty of misinformation by omission.
The
Guardian ran a column by former PLO Representative Karma Nabulsi in which he
takes the media to task for portraying Arafat in a Negative light.
According to Nabulsi:
Arafat, for all his flaws and mistakes, stood for a just peace, based on a
historic compromise. He believed in international law, in a two-state solution
based on implementing UN resolution 242, and for a just settlement for
refugees, the main victims of this conflict. His legitimacy came from more
than the fact that he was democratically elected: he performed a historic
purpose in the life of Palestinians, a purpose as yet unfulfilled. By
representing his people's general will and collective spirit, he symbolized
the absent state's sovereign institutions.
Comments to the Guardian:
letters@guardian.co.uk
It is not enough for the media to simply say that Arafat
was unsuccessful in his goal of establishing a Palestinian
State. Any reflection on his life that does not mention
the terror that he facilitated or the corruption that
characterized his rule is a gross mischaracterization of the
man and his dubious legacy.
Did your local paper gloss over the
anniversary of Arafat's death? Let them know of their
obligation for reporting that give all the facts.
Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the
battle against media bias.
HonestReporting
