PA daily crosswords: Safed and Haifa are Palestinian cities
Crossword puzzles in official PA daily:
Safed and Haifa are Palestinian cities
Safed and Haifa are Palestinian cities
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
In its weekly crossword puzzle, the Palestinian Authority daily presented the Israeli city of Safed as a "city in Northern Palestine." Another recent crossword puzzle defined the Israeli city of Haifa as a "Palestinian city." Clue: "City in Northern Palestine"
Solution: "Safed"
Solution: "Safed"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 13, 2013]
Clue: "Palestinian city"
Solution: "Haifa"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 8, 2013]
Jerusalem also appeared in a crossword this month described as a "threatened Palestinian city":
Clue: "Threatened Palestinian City"
Solution: "Jerusalem" (written backwards)
Solution: "Jerusalem" (written backwards)
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 6, 2013]
Palestinian Media Watch has reported in the past that PA daily crossword puzzles present many Israeli cities and sites as parts of "Palestine." Lod, Acre, Tiberias, and even Tel Aviv have all been presented as "Palestinian"
or "occupied" cities, as have places like Mount Carmel and Mount Meron.Clue: "A modern city in occupied Palestine"
Solution: "Tel Aviv"
Solution: "Tel Aviv"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 10, 2009]
In December, a crossword puzzle presented the Israeli city of Be'er Sheva as "a southern Palestinian city." Other crossword puzzle clues have presented Israel's southernmost city and port Eilat as a "Jordanian port" and Jaffa as a "Palestinian port."Clue: "A southern Palestinian city"
Solution: "Be'er Sheva"
Solution: "Be'er Sheva"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 26, 2012]
Clue: "A Jordanian port on the Red Sea north of Akaba"Solution: "Eilat"
Clue: "A Palestinian port on the Mediterranean [Sea]"
Solution: "Jaffa"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 21, 2011]
With its crossword clues, the official PA paper continues the PA policy of denying Israel's existence.
At times, PA crossword puzzles have been used as a means for glorifying terrorists. For example, Dalal Mughrabi has been honored in crossword puzzles. Mughrabi led the most lethal terror attack in Israel's history when she and other terrorists hijacked a bus and killed 37 civilians in an attack in 1978 known as the Coastal Road massacre:
Clue: "Palestinian Martyr (Shahida) and commander who led the Coastal Road operation (i.e., terror attack)"
Solution: "Dalal Mughrabi"
Solution: "Dalal Mughrabi"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 4, 2009]
A crossword puzzle clue also honored Yahya Ayyash, the first Hamas suicide bomb builder, who is considered the founder of Palestinian suicide terror. His attacks killed dozens of Israelis and injured hundreds:Clue: "Martyr (Shahid) of Palestine, known as 'the Engineer'"
Solution: "Yahya Ayyash"
Solution: "Yahya Ayyash"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 1, 2010]
PMW has repeatedly documented the PA policy of glorifying terrorists.
In 1999, PMW reported on a crossword puzzle defining Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the
Holocaust, Yad Vashem, as a "Jewish center for commemorating the Holocaust and the Lies." The report led to widespread international condemnation of the PA.PMW has documented Holocaust denial and distortion in the PA.
The following are more examples of Israeli cities and sites defined as "Palestinian" or "occupied" in PA daily crossword puzzles:
 |  |
| Clue: "A Palestinian city" Solution: "Tel Aviv" [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 26, 2011] | Clue: "A Palestinian city" Solution: "Tel Aviv" Clue: "A Palestinian city" Solution: "Tiberias" Clue: "A Palestinian city" Solution: "Jaffa" [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 20, 2011] |
 |  |
| Clue: "Occupied Palestinian mountains - 1948" Solution: "Carmel" (Haifa) [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 4, 2009] | Clue: "Palestinian city" Solution: "Acre" [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, June 27, 2010] |
 |  |
| Clue: "Occupied Palestinian city - 1948" Solution: "Lod" [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 2, 2009] | Clue: "The highest mountain in Palestine, overlooking the city Safed" Solution: "Mount Meron" [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 6, 2010] |