Censored

Last week in an NBN we reported news that Ha’aretz was keeping from its readers: how the police attributed 2 terrorist killings in April to criminal causes, to calm the public, and how Ha’aretz fudged MK Ahmed Tibi’s striking a Jerusalem security officer. These instances of “underreporting” pale in comparison to the story which follows. 

One of the world’s darlings, a “man of peace,” considered a possible heir to Arafat, a legitimate representative of the Palestinian Authority, often compared to Martin Luther King, Jr. (who, fortunately, was spared living to hear this comparison), granted a refreshingly frank interview on June 24. A few days later he died, and was buried on Temple Mount by permission of Israeli internal security minister Uzi Landau, with PA and Hamas flags waving through the streets of Jerusalem. This is what Faisal Husseini revealed about the peace process begun in Oslo: it was, in his words, a Trojan horse. 

Husseini spoke to the Egyptian paper Al-Arabi. The interview appeared June 24, a few days before Husseini flew to Kuwait where he died. Eastern studies expert Aharon Amir, a famous Israeli poet and writer, spoke about the interview in Tel Aviv last week, asking why no one in the local or international media had printed this revelation: the peace process, according to one of its architects, was a fraud. The goal of the Oslo process, according to Husseini, is “the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea…” MEMRI (headed by Yigal Carmon) sent this interview to the press and the story has apparently been buried by the media. For the benefit of our readers, here are excerpts from the Husseini interview the world’s media refuses to let you read [emphasis added]: 

“…the [ancient] Greek Army was unable to break into Troy….they left a harmless wooden horse as spoils of war. So they opened the gates of the city and brought in the wooden horse. We all know what happened next. 

"Had the U.S. and Israel not realized, before Oslo, that all that was left of the Palestinian National movement and the Pan-Arab movement was a wooden horse called Arafat or the PLO, they would never have opened their fortified gates and let it inside their walls. 

…I now tell you all, all those to whom I spoke in a secret meeting during the days of Oslo: 'Climb into the horse and don't question what type of material the horse is made of. Climb into the horse, and we shall transform your climbing into that horse into a beginning of a building era rather than an era of the end of hope.'

"And indeed, there are those who climbed unto the horse and are [now] inside [the PA territory] whether they supported the Oslo Accords or not."

“… I told everyone: Three years ago I said 'Climb into the horse' and everyone entered into the horse and the horse entered into the walled-in [area]. Now, the time has come for us to say: 'Come out of the horse and start working. Don’t stay inside the horse and don't waste time and energy while you are inside the horse arguing whether this was a good horse or not. Look, it is thanks to this horse that you were able to get into the walled-in city.’

"So come down out of the horse and start working for the goal for which you entered the horse to begin with. In my opinion, the Intifada itself is the coming down out of the horse. Rather than getting into the old arguments…this effort [the Intifada] could have been much better, broader, and more significant had we made it clearer to ourselves that the Oslo agreement, or any other agreement, is just a temporary procedure, or just a step towards something bigger…

"Praise Allah, by now we have all come out of the horse, those who were with Arafat and those from the opposition. Personally, I never had any complaints regarding the fact that they entered the horse while being opposed to it. However, I would have complaints had they stayed inside the horse and never came out of it. Now that we all came out of the horse, I ask of you and of all journalists to lay aside all the analyses of past events, all the old disputes, and judge people on the basis of what they are actually doing now…our slogan from now on should be ‘The Intifada is always right…’

Q: "What are the borders of the Palestinian state you are referring to, and what kind of 'Jerusalem' would you accept as the capital of your state?"

A: "With this question you are dragging me into talking about what we refer to as our ‘strategic’ goals and our ‘political’ goals, or the phased goals. The ‘strategic’ goals are the ‘higher goals,’ the ‘long-term goals,’ or the ‘unwavering goals,’ the goals that are based on solid Pan-Arab historic rights and principles. Whereas the ‘political’ goals are those goals which were set for a temporary timeframe, considering the [constraints of] the existing international system, the balance of power, our own abilities, and other considerations which ‘vary’ from time to time.

"When we are asking all the Palestinian forces and factions to look at the Oslo Agreement and at other agreements as "temporary" procedures, or phased goals, this means that we are ambushing the Israelis and cheating them…

"…if we agree to declare our state over what is now only 22% of Palestine, meaning the West Bank and Gaza – our ultimate goal is [still] the liberation of all historical Palestine from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea, even if this means that the conflict will last for another thousand years or for many generations.

"…We distinguish the strategic, long-term goals from the political phased goals, which we are compelled to temporarily accept due to international pressure. If you are asking me as a Pan-Arab nationalist what are the Palestinian borders according to the higher strategy, I will immediately reply: ‘From the river to the sea.’ Palestine in its entirety is an Arab land, the land of the Arab nation, a land no one can sell or buy, and it is impossible to remain silent while someone is stealing it, even if this requires time and even [if it means paying] a high price.

"If you are asking me, as a man who belongs to the Islamic faith, my answer is also ‘From the river to the sea,’ the entire land is an Islamic Waqf which can not be bought or sold, and it is impossible to remain silent while someone is stealing it …

"If you are asking me as an ordinary Palestinian, from the ‘inside’ or from the Diaspora, you will get the same answer and without any hesitations. However, what I am able to achieve and live on right now, due to [constraints of] the international system, is not, of course, Palestine ‘From the river to the sea.’ In order for us to fulfill all of our dreams regarding Palestine, we must, first of all, wake up and realize where we are standing. On the other hand, if we will continue to behave as if we are still dreaming, we will not find a place to put our feet on...

"As I once said in the past: our eyes must continue to focus on the higher goal. The real danger is that I might forget [it], and while advancing towards my short-term goal I might turn my back on my long-term goal, which is the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea…"

Now you know the truth. What effect will this have on the peace process? On the politicians from Israel, Europe, the U.S., who helped bring the Trojan horse into Israel and participated in what Husseini calls an “ambush” of Israel? In all likelihood – none. 

For, last week the newspaper Maariv published a front-page story, under a banner headline streaming across the entire page, and based on defense intelligence reports, reporting that Yasser Arafat had ordered his troops to “kill one Israeli settler a day.” When asked to comment on this report late that day, Foreign Minister Peres, who certainly had read the intelligence reports, and who certainly had read Maariv, or heard about this sensational story that was the talk of the day in Israel, replied that he was unaware of the story. 

Ostrich diplomacy. Bury the facts you can; if the facts appear ignore them.

It works for Clinton, Indyk, Ross; Larsen, Chirac, Anan; Beilin, Peres, Sarid; the NY Times, Ha’aretz, etc. All these people and entities who pandered and pander to Husseini and Arafat were partners to what Husseini calls the “ambush” of Israel. One would expect such people to resign from office, publish apologies, hide in shame, plead they were dupes and hope for mercy from the court.

Unless they weren’t duped and aren’t apologetic. Unless they knew and know what they are doing and do it purposely. Which should give thoughtful people pause to think: What are their goals?

Think about it.

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