Israel behind Beirut explosion – PA daily op-ed
Israel's raison d’etre is the destruction of the Arab nation
As with past catastrophes befalling the Arab world (or even the world in general) not much time passed before a writer at the official PA daily accused Israel of being behind the explosion in Beirut that cost the lives of more than 150 Lebanese and wounded over 5,000 last week.
Ignoring the fact that Lebanon has already announced that it was improperly stored ammonium nitrate in Beirut’s port that caused the explosion, regular columnist Bassem Barhoum was quick to libel Israel as being behind it. And the proof? “This is what [Israel] exists for - to destroy the [Arab] nation.” In other words, it is simply Israel's raison d’etre to kill Arabs:
“We… do not rule out the possibility that Israel had a hand in this catastrophe since this is what it exists for – to destroy the [Arab] nation and any chance of its revival.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 6, 2020]
Palestinian Media Watch has documented that the PA is quick to blame Israel for anything bad happening, be it internal conflicts in the Arab world, terror attacks in the world in general, or problems specifically in the PA.
In 2012, a satirical PA TV show made a joke out of the PA's blaming Israel for everything:
The following is a longer excerpt of the op-ed in the official PA daily:
Excerpt of an op-ed by Bassem Barhoum, regular columnist for the official PA daily
Headline: “Let Beirut’s catastrophe lead to the nation’s awakening”
“A true tsunami destroyed Beirut (refers to explosion of improperly stored ammonium nitrate in Beirut’s port on Aug. 4, 2020 – over 150 dead and over 5,000 wounded –Ed.)…
It’s impossible that any Arab with a shred of a conscience was not shocked at what happened, and did not feel in his heart the great downfall and the low point that we, the Arabs, have reached. I do not want to sink into commentaries and analyses, but all of this is the result of a long path of defeat that has continued for hundreds of years, and which reached its peak when the Arabs allowed colonialism to tear them apart… and when the Arabs accepted the loss of Palestine and agreed to [the presence of] the Zionist entity in the heart of their land…
We, who in 1982 had a blockade imposed on us in Beirut (refers to the First Lebanon War –Ed.), do not rule out the possibility that Israel had a hand in this catastrophe (sic., there is no evidence indicating Israel was involved in the incident in any way –Ed.), since this is what it exists for – to destroy the [Arab] nation and any chance of its revival. What is sad, without getting into interpretations, is that the Lebanese people continues to exchange blame at a time when Lebanon’s Arab and cultural presence is being eliminated…
Beirut’s catastrophe shocked us, but will the shock turn into an awakening? How many catastrophes and calamities do we need so that the [Arab] nation will awaken? How much blood and destruction need to tear our hearts apart so that we will awaken, after the destruction of Jerusalem, Baghdad, Damascus, Sana’a, Tripoli, and Beirut? …
The guilty parties are not our many enemies; the guilt is mostly ours, because we are continuing to divide ourselves and waste our resources and energies.”[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 6, 2020]
The First Lebanon War – The First Lebanon War began on June 6, 1982 following a long period of PLO attacks against Israel and after terrorists from the Abu-Nidal terror group attempted to assassinate Israeli Ambassador to the UK Shlomo Argov. The war began as a short-term operation called “Operation Peace for Galilee,” which aimed to destroy the militant infrastructure on Israel’s border with Lebanon. The war ended up lasting until 1985, when the Israeli army withdrew from Lebanon, leaving behind a token force (which withdrew in 2000) to aid the Lebanese in patrolling the security zone along the border. Israel suffered more than 1,200 fatalities in the war.