The Palestinian PR strategy

[Vic]

It's immodest to quote oneself , but...

Originally posted by Vic (post#69 http://www.israelforum.com/board/sho...4968#post14968 )
The public face of the Palestinians, cultivated over decades and intimately familiar to everyone here, is a very chummy, understandable, sympathetic secular one.

... it seems that this successful strategy is being exported to the US:

From news article:

Palestinian peace activist Hana Siniora, a 65-year-old East Jerusalemite Christian, long-involved in pro-peace activities, has accepted Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's appointment as the PLO's ambassador to Washington. The choice of the moderate Siniora is seen as a bid to improve PA ties with the U.S.

Siniora departs Tuesday to take up the position and find new offices for the legation.

His appointment is regarded as a gesture to the Palestinian Christian community and the veteran leadership from the territories. He replaces Hassan Abdel Rahman, who has held the position for more than a decade.

As relations between the PA and U.S. administration deteriorated, Rahman came under attack by Palestinian officials who have pressed Arafat to replace him. During discussions with the PA about reforms, American officials have also recommended a change in the PLO representation in Washington, speaking of the need to rehabilitate the PA's standing in public opinion and the media.

Lately, the PLO was evicted from its Washington offices, due to late payments with the rent. Siniora, who was at an Istanbul meeting of the Louisiana Forum this weekend, expressed hope that his connections with church leaders and Jewish peace activists in the U.S. will help him improve relations between the PA and the U.S.

[...]

Arafat names Palestinian peace activist Hana Siniora as U.S. envoy
By Akiva Eldar, Ha'aretz Correspondent
Last update - 08:47 02/09/2002
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pa...ubContrassID=0

In short: We will continue to murder wherever we can, but look how nice we are... Why not send some Hamas guy along? At least it would be the honest thing to do.

[cerulean]

Siniora, who was at an Istanbul meeting of the Louisiana Forum this weekend, expressed hope that his connections with church leaders and Jewish peace activists in the U.S. will help him improve relations between the PA and the U.S.

Who specifically are these people? At first casual reading, this sounds like a large coalition, but perhaps there are just a few nutty people scattered around (I hope).

[Vic]

Originally posted by cerulean
Who specifically are these people? At first casual reading, this sounds like a large coalition, but perhaps there are just a few nutty people scattered around (I hope).

If you mean Jewish peace activists, here is a very active site: http://www.peacenow.org/

The point from my POV is, however, the discrepancy between words and deeds. Why not send someone along who does represent the Palestinian leadership's policy?

[shoshannah]

Originally posted by cerulean


Who specifically are these people? At first casual reading, this sounds like a large coalition, but perhaps there are just a few nutty people scattered around (I hope).

Here are a few links to their sites:
http://www.peacenow.org.il/
http://www.gush-shalom.org/
http://www.ariga.com/gentoc.htm
http://www.batshalom.org/2002/1.htm
http://www.rhr.israel.net/overview.shtml
http://www.seruv.org.il/
http://www.yesh-gvul.org/

Note to self: time to update my site with more links

[cerulean]

Originally posted by Vic
If you mean Jewish peace activists, here is a very active site: http://www.peacenow.org/

The point from my POV is, however, the discrepancy between words and deeds. Why not send someone along who does represent the Palestinian leadership's policy?

I meant specifically people in the US (church leaders and Jewish peace activists) who are personally interacting currently with Siniora. That's a much smaller subset, I presume, than the entire group of church leaders and Jewish peace activists interested in the situation in Israel who are somewhat sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

As to the last question, I presume that the more obfuscation about Palestinian leadership policy, the better for the Palestinian leaders .

[Vic]

Getting better with each day:

Sep. 4, 2002
Ex-PA minister: Arafat missed chance at Camp David
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...=1029920704840

Former Palestinian Authority cabinet minister Nabil Amer published a letter Tuesday addressed to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, holding him responsible for the state of chaos in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and accusing him of missing an opportunity to reach a deal at Camp David.

[...]

The letter was originally published in an Arab newspaper that appears in London. Yesterday, in a surprising move, the article was reprinted in the PA's mouthpiece, Al-Hayat al-Jadeedah, published in Ramallah, which has a very limited readership.

Criticism of Arafat is forbidden in the Palestinian media. Palestinians said the article was reprinted because the PA wanted to show that such material could appear in a Palestinian newspaper as well. After all, Amer wrote in his letter that he would not be surprised if his message was censored.

[...]

Reminds me of "controlled Soviet democracy"

[cerulean]

Seniora, mentioned a few posts ago by Vic, is certainly getting positive press coverage, as in this profile by CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/...ora/index.html

[elke]

The plot thickens...

...Hanna Siniora, the Palestinian Christian publisher of the weekly Jerusalem Times, says Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat personally offered him the job, and Siniora has already started giving interviews about his plans for the posting.

Current PLO Ambassador Hassan Abdel Rahman, however, says no one has informed him that Siniora will replace him, and accuses Siniora of fabricating his appointment. "I was not informed of any change," Rahman told The Jerusalem Post. "He [Siniora] was not appointed. He wants to be appointed." ...

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...=1029920719233

[Vic]

Originally posted by elke
The plot thickens...

I finally got it! It's Arafat himself who is an imposter! Where are they hiding the real "rais"?

[Vic]

Fatah to announce halt to terror attacks on civilians
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pa...ubContrassID=0


EXCLUSIVE: Text of Fatah declaration rejecting attacks against civilians
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pa...ubContrassID=0

A draft text, according to Ha'aretz, but nevertheless impressive:

From news article:

A Declaration to the Peaceful and Progressive People of Israel and the World

On the occasion of the second anniversary of the launching of the Intifada, the leadership and the cadre of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, Fatah, would like to express our appreciation and admiration for the legendary and heroic steadfastness of our people, the sacrifices of our martyrs, and the steadfastness of our captives and those injured during the Intifada. We would like to seize this opportunity to announce and declare to the peaceful and coexistence loving forces all over the world that:

[...]

* in accordance with our legitimate right of freedom and independence, we will continue our resistance against the occupation with all legitimate means. We strongly condemn all the aggressive measures of the occupation including targeting Palestinian civilians. And in accordance with the higher interests of the Palestinian people, and with our moral values, tolerant religions and belief; we, the Fatah movement reject and we will prevent any attacks against Israeli civilians. We are aware that the continuation of the Israeli occupation and aggression and the targeting of our women, children and homes will lead to individual responses; nevertheless, we are committed to following this political line and we will work to prevent all attacks on civilians in keeping with our human values and this important human principle.

[...]

Palestinians are good at rhetorics, never mind the text I put in bold... The phrase "Individual responses" somehow reminds me of Nazi pogroms, you know, these absolutely spontaneous uprisings of the German people against the scrouge of the Jewry...

Btw., what did the Palestinian security do to prevent attacks on Israelis so far, unless it served as a useful pretext to subdue groups competing with the PA?