Israel Matzav: And again: Official 'Palestinian Authority' television glorifies mass murderer

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

And again: Official 'Palestinian Authority' television glorifies mass murderer

In February, I reported on a 'Palestinian' television campaign that glorified Dalal al-Mughrabi, the woman who led the 1978 coastal road massacre in which 37 Israeli civilians were murdered. At the time, one of the key parts of the story was the involvement of an agency of the Untied Nations in sponsoring the campaign. That agency's logo is no longer associated with the campaign.

But the campaign has taken on a life of its own, and on Thursday May 5, it was once again shown on 'Palestinian Authority' television.

One of the women promoted in the clip as role models for Arab women today is Dalal Mughrabi, famous for her terrorist attack that killed dozens of Israelis, and another, Al Khansa, who is famous for celebrating the Martyrdom deaths of her children.

The clip is part of the "White Hands Campaign - The largest media campaign to support women's issues," which is organized by "the Arab Producers Union for TV (APUTV)," according to the campaign's English website. [accessed May 9, 2011, http://www.whitehandsc.com/en/component/content/72.html?task=view]

When PMW first reported on this campaign, the website listed the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as part of the campaign's organizers and carried the organization's logo. Following PMW's exposure of the UN's stated involvement in the campaign, UNFPA issued a press release "disavowing" its involvement in the campaign. The campaign has since then removed the UNFPA logo from its website.

Entitled The Model Woman, the clip honors different Arab women of the past, assigning to them various virtues and accomplishments. Dalal Mughrabi, who in 1978 led the most lethal terror attack against Israel, in which 37 civilians were killed, is venerated in the clip as a role model for "Martyrdom" and "victory over enmity". Al Khansa, a 7th century Arab poet, who celebrated her four sons' Martyrdom deaths in battle is praised as an example of "resolve" and "Martyrdom and giving".

The website explains that "women are essential partners and important actors for the development of society," and mentions that one of the campaign's objectives is "to bring about distinguished women samples that have offered great services to society."

It further states that "societies signal distinguished samples of personalities with pride, and reflect the spot lights on them in order for them [Arab women] to take an inspirational course for generations to come. Arabic societies like other societies, highly appreciate figures where great virtues of giving transcend in different fields, and there is nothing greater than distinguished women in our societies, as they are great models to be followed by the old or the young, these women can be the working farmers, the teachers, the doctors, the engineers, the scientists, the lawyers, the activists in all fields whether social or political, they are the ones to sacrifice, and in all of their cases, they are the mothers!" [http://www.whitehandsc.com/en/component/content/51.html?task=view]

The campaign's English website also states that "APUTV works under the umbrella of the Arab League, and through the Arab Ministers Information Council." And that "APUTV's official headquarters are in Cairo- Egypt."