No reports in PA media on Abbas’ condemnation of the murders of two Israeli soldiers
During a meeting with Jewish leaders in New York on Sept. 25, 2013, Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killings of two Israeli soldiers who had been murdered a few days prior. Abbas’ condemnation, which was stated in front of a Jewish audience only, was not reported by official PA media. Reports in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida on the killings (Sept. 22-23, 2013) did not include any official Palestinian response to the events. Furthermore, the official PA news agency WAFA, which reported on Abbas’ meeting with Jewish leaders in New York, contained nothing about Abbas’ condemnation of the attacks.
Headline: “Our correspondent clarifies what exactly was said by Mahmoud Abbas about the killing of the [Israeli] soldiers in the West Bank”
“Comrade [director of the Ma’an news agency] Nasser Al-Lahham clarified exactly what President Abbas said to the Jewish lobby in New York concerning the killing of the Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. After President Abbas delivered the speech he had written… he allowed the audience to ask questions. One of the Jewish leaders asked him about the killing of the two soldiers, and the President said as follows: ‘They were killed in Area C, which is under Israeli control, and is not an area controlled by Palestinian security forces… Nonetheless, we condemn the killing and denounce it. We demand that the Israelis condemn killings, such as the killing of four Palestinians in a refugee camp near Jerusalem a while back. I condemn killing anywhere, and we must make peace instead of killing.’
A senior Palestinian official expressed his surprise at how Israeli radio reported the matter under the headline ‘Abbas expresses condolences on the death of the two soldiers’ and contented itself with this headline without relating to President Abbas’ answer exactly as it was given. “
Headline: “Our correspondent clarifies what exactly was said by Mahmoud Abbas about the killing of the [Israeli] soldiers in the West Bank”
“Comrade [director of the Ma’an news agency] Nasser Al-Lahham clarified exactly what President Abbas said to the Jewish lobby in New York concerning the killing of the Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. After President Abbas delivered the speech he had written… he allowed the audience to ask questions. One of the Jewish leaders asked him about the killing of the two soldiers, and the President said as follows: ‘They were killed in Area C, which is under Israeli control, and is not an area controlled by Palestinian security forces… Nonetheless, we condemn the killing and denounce it. We demand that the Israelis condemn killings, such as the killing of four Palestinians in a refugee camp near Jerusalem a while back. I condemn killing anywhere, and we must make peace instead of killing.’
A senior Palestinian official expressed his surprise at how Israeli radio reported the matter under the headline ‘Abbas expresses condolences on the death of the two soldiers’ and contented itself with this headline without relating to President Abbas’ answer exactly as it was given. “