Sunday, June 1, 2003
(Via LGF) IMRA - Sunday, June 1, 2003 Arafat tells kids to die on Int'l Children's Day
Israel Television Channel Two News correspondent Ehud Yaari showed a tape this evening of the meeting Yasser Arafat held in Ramallah with children to mark International Children's Day.
Arafat devoted his remarks to encouraging the children to be
"shahid" (die for the cause), noting that one shahid who dies for the sake of Jerusalem has the power equal to 40 of the enemy dying.
Yaari noted that Arafat said nothing in his remarks about peace or
reconciliation.
Many in Israel do not expect anything Arafat says or does to have an impact on the standing of Arafat's junior partner, Abu Mazen, vis-a-vis the Americans. In fact, paradoxically, the more active Arafat is in calling for terror and violence - and even organizing terror attacks, the more Abu Mazen will be seen by the Bush team as a victim of Arafat who must be supported by Israeli concessions so that one day he can finally dethrone Arafat (and in the meantime to be treated with compassion - expected only to make some statements and photo-opportunities).
While the above scenario completely contradicts Mr. Bush's "vision", it would appear that the Bush team has locked onto Abu Mazen come-what-may.
And Abu Mazen knows it, as does his boss - Yasser Arafat.
Here's the AP photo LGF has with the item:
Not just sick - scary. It used to be that Arafat would say one thing in English and a completely different, sick story in Arabic, and when exposed, we'd hear all sorts of crap about "Well, you have to understand...Arabic is a metaphorical language...he doesn't mean it literally..." Now, most of us knew differently, but few listened. 9/11 changed that for some. You would have thought that and years of suicide bombing would have changed it for a lot more - but some people never learn, and never will listen.
