"Two countries, Syria and Palestine" share borders with Lebanon, in PA education
Israel doesn't exist
in the world of PA TV quiz
Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
in the world of PA TV quiz
Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
In a PA TV quiz for Palestinian university students, contestants were asked how many countries share a border with Lebanon. The correct answer given by the student and confirmed by the PA TV host was: "Two countries: Syria and Palestine."
Although Israel is the country bordering Lebanon to the south, it is not mentioned, and “Palestine” could only be Lebanon’s neighbor if Israel did not exist.
The Palestinian Authority as policy repeatedly denies Israel's existence in its Arabic TV programing, presenting to children and youth a world in which only "Palestine" exists and replaces Israel.
Palestinian Media Watch has previously documented similar questions denying Israel's existence on the same PA TV quiz program. Israeli cities Haifa and Nazareth as well as Israel's coast have all been termed "Palestinian." See transcripts below.
See PMW's website for additional examples of how "Palestine" replaces Israel in the PA.
The following is the transcript of the question and answer in the PA TV quiz:
PA TV quiz program The Stars:
Host: "How many countries share a border with Lebanon?"
Contestant: "Two countries - Syria and Palestine."
Host: "Of course, two countries - Syria and Palestine. [Lebanon] is our neighbor - it's impossible that we wouldn't know."
[PA TV (Fatah), Oct. 8 and 11, 2010]
The following are the transcripts of other questions denying Israel's existence from the PA TV quiz program The Stars:
PA TV host: "[True or false:] The Palestinian coast is 335 km long.
Palestine Polytechnic team - your answer was correct.
The answer is 'false.' It's 235 km."
[Note: 235 km is distance from southern Gaza to Israel's northernmost point.]
PA TV host: "[True or false:] The Palestinian city known as "the Chamomile of Palestine" is Haifa.
The answer is 'false.' [Correct answer is] Nazareth." [Note: Nazareth is an Israeli city.]
PA TV host: " Here is a simple question.
The area of Palestine is:
1. 27,000 sq.km.
2. 51,000 sq. km.
3. 81,000 sq. km."
Student: "The answer is 27,000 sq. km."
host: "Of course, we should all know the area of Palestine. 27,000 sq. km.
That is the correct answer."
[Note: 27,000 sq. km. includes the area of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.]
Palestine Polytechnic team - your answer was correct.
The answer is 'false.' It's 235 km."
[Note: 235 km is distance from southern Gaza to Israel's northernmost point.]
PA TV host: "[True or false:] The Palestinian city known as "the Chamomile of Palestine" is Haifa.
The answer is 'false.' [Correct answer is] Nazareth." [Note: Nazareth is an Israeli city.]
PA TV host: " Here is a simple question.
The area of Palestine is:
1. 27,000 sq.km.
2. 51,000 sq. km.
3. 81,000 sq. km."
Student: "The answer is 27,000 sq. km."
host: "Of course, we should all know the area of Palestine. 27,000 sq. km.
That is the correct answer."
[Note: 27,000 sq. km. includes the area of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.]
[PA TV (Fatah), June 25, 2010]
Promotion of PA TV quiz program The Stars. On the screen the following question appears, and is read out loud:
"A Palestinian coastal city is:
1. Ramallah
2. Bethlehem
3. Haifa
Send answers to the number that appears on the screen and win $500."
[Note: The Israeli city Haifa is the only coastal city of the three.]
[PA TV (Fatah), May 27, 2010]
In November 2009, PA TV introduced a weekly quiz program entitled The Stars. The first season was funded by the European Union, and the quiz questions all related to Europe, covering topics such as history, geography, personalities, government, culture, arts and sports. Each program featured competing representatives from two Palestinian Authority universities or colleges. In January 2010 the competition ended, and the last program showed a prize ceremony with the participation of Minister of Welfare Majda Al-Masri; Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake; and director of the MAAN news agency, Nasser A-Lahham.
In May 2010, a new season of the program was announced, sponsored by the cell phone company Jawwal. Palestinian Media Watch has been unable to verify whether this season is also sponsored by the EU. The program's logo, a virtual copy of the EU flag but lacking two stars, continues to be used in this season as well.
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