PA TV: Israel murdered Arafat, now targeting Abbas - "the plot is renewed"
PA TV repeats libel:
Israel murdered Arafat with poison,
Israel murdered Arafat with poison,
implies Israel is planning to kill Abbas too
- "the plot is renewed"
Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Today, November 11, is the anniversary of former Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's death and on this occasion the PA traditionally repeats its libel that Israel murdered Arafat with poison.
This year is no exception. In a new video, which PA TV has been broadcasting several times daily the last few days, Israel "and its allies" are accused of committing "the murder with poison". In addition, PA TV suggests that Israel is plotting to murder PA Chairman Abbas as well, stating that "the plot is renewed":
Earlier this week, Palestinian Media Watch reported on similar Palestinian claims that Israel is planning to "eliminate Abbas politically and physically."
A young girl earlier this year repeated her belief that Israel played a role in Arafat's death, stating that "the Jews killed him":
The young girl's statement shows that the message that "Israel killed Arafat," which the PA has reiterated for years, has been internalized by Palestinian children. Another video of young children stating that "the Jews" murdered Arafat was broadcast by PA TV several years in a row:
Girl 1: "I say that he [Arafat] died from poisoning by the Jews. That's what I say."
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 1: "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 2: "They destroyed his whole house and he was left in one room and in the end the Jews poisoned him and blamed someone else."
[Official PA TV, once a year 2009-2012]
Despite the fact that the claim that Arafat was poisoned has been rejected by different international medical teams, the PA continues to claim Israel did so.
In March 2015, three French judges ruled that "it has not been demonstrated that Mr. Yasser Arafat was murdered by polonium-210 poisoning." The French prosecutor stated that there was "not sufficient evidence of an intervention by a third party who could have attempted to take his life." [France 24, Sept. 2, 2015] The French prosecutor also explained that the polonium and lead found in Arafat's grave were "of an environmental nature." [Jerusalem Post, March 17, 2015] Click to read more about the different medical teams' conclusions.
The following is a longer excerpt from the new PA TV video claiming that Israel is murdered Arafat and is plotting to kill Abbas:
Song: "O bullets, let us hear the sound of joy, Fatah of the revolution will not die,
and the Fatah member will repeat loudly with us: 'Long live Fatah!'''
Narrator: "The Fatah knight, creator of Al-Asifa (i.e., Fatah military unit), the engineer (i.e., Yasser Arafat). He stretched out his body as a bridge that we crossed towards victories that came one after the other... Pistol, rifle, and military uniform, with which the Palestinian revolution moved from place to place and wandered with them from land to land... With peace, politics, and resistance, with both the olive branch and the rifle, we entered the occupied land."
Pictures from the signing of the Oslo Accords, 1993
Narrator: "A new battle began: The peace process. Discussions and agreements that the occupation backed out of, protected by the cover of injustice provided to it by Washington the whole way. A new battle [began]: Resolve."
Excerpt of Yasser Arafat's speech: "I say to Norway, to Egypt, to the European bloc, and to the entire world: This agreement is the peace of courageous [people], and it must be implemented from Jenin to Rafah!"
Pictures from the siege of the PA's presidential headquarters in Ramallah
Narrator: "A new chapter in the story: The scheme. Israel and its allies found Arafat to be an insurmountable obstacle to their occupation aspirations and plans, and therefore they [laid] the siege and [committed] the murder by poison... The knight [Arafat] got off his horse, and on the back of the revolution rose another man: Mahmoud Abbas. He tried again, out of a belief in a just peace, but the same cover of injustice remained... The leader understood how matters are conducted, and began an international legal battle in order to internationalize the [Palestinian] cause. He tore off the cover of injustice, while screaming out the Palestinian right. [He made] achievements one after another, in a critical international battle while adhering to the principles."
Excerpt of Mahmoud Abbas' speech: "There is not among us, nor of us, one who will renounce one grain of sand from Jerusalem or Palestine."
Captions:
"[Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor] Liberman: We must get rid of the PA and it is essential that Abbas go away"
"Liberman: 'Israel' must get rid of Abbas"
"A new Israeli attack on President Abbas"
"Wikileaks: [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu wants to get rid of Abbas."
Narrator: "The plot is renewed and history repeats itself. The Palestinian president is again under attack. On the 12th anniversary of the death as a Martyr of late President Yasser Arafat - the commitment remains, the oath remains, and this is a revolution until victory."
[Official PA TV, The 12th Anniversary of the Death
as a Martyr of the Leader, the Symbol, Nov. 8-9, 2016]
Note:
On Aug. 20, 2012, then Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs and current Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman sent a letter to the Quartet, saying that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is blocking and undermining the peace process. Liberman called for elections in the PA, in the hope of replacing Abbas.
On Jan. 14, 2015, Liberman said: "I think that today too, it is clear beyond any doubt that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is not a partner; he's an obstacle. Therefore, I have no doubts that if we want to move forward, with Mahmoud Abbas we will not get anywhere."
In August 2016 Liberman met with Palestinian businessmen and economists and asked what was important for the Palestinian economy. He said they told him: "The most important thing is to get rid of Mahmoud Abbas. He is running a regime of corruption that encompasses everything."
In none of these instances did Liberman say anything about physically getting rid of Abbas. Regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, PMW was unable to locate any quote similar to the one attributed to him by PA TV.