Op-ed on Palestinian conspiracy theories in The Algemeiner features PMW findings
Palestinian Conspiracy Theories Explain the Lack of Peace
Though media outlets covering the region subject nearly every Israeli moral failure to something akin to a forensic examination, Palestinians (as we’ve documented continually) are usually spared this level of scrutiny — a pattern of double standards that egregiously skews reports on the conflict.
The latest example of disturbing behavior by a Palestinian Authority (PA) minister that likely won’t be reported by the media involves the promotion of a bizarre anti-Israel conspiracy theory — that Israel spreads drugs and AIDS in Palestinian society, per a report by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).
PMW notes that the charge has actually been promoted countless times by PA officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas.
However, rather than focusing on the media’s failure to cover this libel, let’s consider instead how high-level Palestinian officials promoting such conspiracies reflects on their society.
For starters, we know from polling that such conspiratorial thinking — especially of the antisemitic variety — is quite common among Palestinians. A staggering 88 percent of Palestinians, for instance, believe that Jews have too much control over global affairs and the global media. And 78 percent think that Jews are responsible for most of the world’s wars. Other conspiracy theories widely accepted in Palestinian society involve the claim that Israel is trying to destroy the al-Aqsa Mosque, and that Israel steals Palestinian organs.Read the full article here: https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/01/15/palestinian-conspiracy-theories-explain-the-lack-of-peace/