07-17-09 Aljazeera kicked out of West Bank exposes issues

Aljazeera Arabic under siege in West Bank and in its editorial offices
By Ray Hanania — Aljazeera Arabic became the first television station to broadcast balanced news about the Middle East, but over the years its editorial staff has expanded to include several people who are less about journalism and more about partisan political activism, mainly supporting Hamas and the growing Islamic extremist movement. The biggest complaint has been about its coverage, which critics have called biased and supporters have said does not advocate pro-Palestinian and Islamic views enough.

HANANIA: Arabs driven by biases that mirror Israeli biases, For Immediate Release, March 16, 2008

Arabs driven by biases that mirror Israeli biases
By Ray Hanania – Last month, Hamas terrorists fired rockets into Israel and killed an Israeli girl. The attack provoked a massive response from Israel which claimed to target Hamas militants but ended up killing dozens of Palestinian civilians. Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs roundly condemned the Israeli attacks, but made no mention of the murder of the Israeli girl. Israelis were no different, condemning the murder of the little girl and then excusing away the murder of scores of innocent Palestinian civilians. As the back and forth escalated, the partisanship increased with Palestinians ignoring their attacks against Israel and Israelis ignoring their attacks against Palestinians. And people wonder why peace has been elusive so far in the Middle East.

HANANIA: US Presidents and the last minute push for peace, For Immediate Release, 01-09-08

U.S. Presidents and the drive for Middle East peace
By Ray Hanania — What is it about Presidents who wait until the last minute to try and achieve peace in the Middle East? President George W. Bush is in Jerusalem meeting with Israelis and Palestinians to help nudge the latest generation of the “peace process” along. Why does this all sound so familiar?

HANANIA: Don’t allow Hamas to recapture control of Palestine, For Immediate Release, 12-11-07

Don’t allow Hamas to regain any control in Palestine
By Ray Hanania – The acronym FATAH is based on the Arabic words “Harakat al-Tahrir (Al-Watani) al-Filasteen,” a movement dedicated to the (national) liberation of Palestine. Hamas is based on the Arabic words “Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamia” which is a movement dedicated to zealous Islam, not the liberation of Palestine. Many people say the Oslo Peace Accords failed because the differences between Israelis and Palestinians were huge. But that is a lie. In truth, the real problem was Hamas. The failure of peace has always been caused by Hamas, a religious terrorist organization that as soon as it is done wiping out all the Jews in Palestine and Israel will quickly turn its wrath on Arab Christians.

HANANIA: Palestinian tragedy of “normalization” blocks their freedom, For Immediate Release 12-07-07

The Wall of “normalization” that inhibits Palestinian independence
By Ray Hanania – (Jerusalem, Palestine/Israel) Palestinians I meet always point to the Israeli occupation as the main stumbling block preventing them from achieving independence and driving their oppressive lives. But I think far more obstacles exist that Palestinians are afraid to acknowledge, most that begin right in their own back yards.

ALARABI: Sweet talk at Annapolis, For Immediate Release, 11-28-07

Sweet talk at Annapolis
By Ali Alarabi – Although the speakers meeting in Annapolis were optimistic and almost encouraging in their speeches regarding bringing lasting peace to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, a peace, in the words of president Bush should usher the establishment of a viable Palestinian state side by side with Israel.  President Bush speech, though was peppered with references to freedom of the Palestinian people and a “real” and “viable” Palestinian state, but in reality Israel is making every effort to undermine the freedom of the Palestinian people and making the “reality and viability” of any future Palestinian state a virtual impossibility.

HANANIA: Annapolis peace summit faces major challenges, For Immediate Release, 11-25-07

Annapolis peace summit faces major challenges

By Ray Hanania – If Israel really wanted to torpedo the Annapolis Peace Summit, as some Arabs insist, it wouldn’t have to work very hard to do it. The Palestinians and most Arabs are already trashing the Summit, which promises only to define a framework in which Israelis and Palestinians can begin final status negotiations. But Palestinians and Israelis seem skeptical. Many Palestinians believe the stumbling block is that Israel does not want to surrender the land it has annexed after occupying the West Bank in 1967, while Israelis have doubts a peace accord will lead to an end to violence. Israelis respond by pointing to the fact that they did return the Gaza Strip. Israelis argue that the Hamas terrorist organization has turned the Gaza into a military threat and base from which they fire Kassam Rockets into Israel.

HANANIA: Hamas violence in Gaza justifies harsh PNA response, For Immediate Release, 11-12-07

Hamas violence in Gaza justifies harsh PNA response

By Ray Hanania – Too many apologists for the Hamas terrorist organization have tried to assert that the Islamicist organization is a product of Democracy that is seeking to democratically represent the Palestinian people and salvage them from years of Israeli oppression. They argue that because the group won one election, it therefore is the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. But the truth is Hamas is not a Democracy at all, but a religious dictatorship. It used the last elections to destroy secular Palestinian society and replace it with a fundamentalist bastardization of Islam.

HANANIA: The problem with “road maps,” For Immediate Release, 11-03-07

The problem with roadmaps

By Ray Hanania – After several trips to Jerusalem over the past year, I have come to realize that the term “roadmap” is not exactly the best way to describe a mission to achieve anything, let alone peace. When it comes to making or following roadmaps, Palestinians and Israelis can’t drive. At least not well. And that’s not a good place to start.

HANANIA: Olmert reopens door to Peace Abbas should not miss, For Immediate Release, 10-11-07

Olmert reopens door to peace Abbas should not miss

By Ray Hanania – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert re-opened the door to a peace accord with the Palestinians and was immediately attacked by extremists in his government. But he was also attacked by extremists leading the illegal government in the Gaza Strip, which has been re-occupied by Hamas extremists. To make this summit succeed, the Palestinians must respond not with skepticism, but positive ideas.