Arafat: “Terrorize Your Enemy” By Andrew L. Jaffee, May 16, 2004	Home   Search   Forum   Terms

In a live speech carried Saturday on Palestinian television, Yasser Arafat advised his people to “terrorize your enemy” (see also here). There he goes again, the great terror-master, drumming up hatred amongst his people. There are not enough corpses piled up for Arafat. He’s not satisfied with the number of Palestinians and Israelis who have been murdered because of the terror he’s sponsored since late 2000. Arafat’s speech was ludicrous.

He had the nerve to say,

Our nation is patient and determined, which sacrificed its body to defend itself, which was laid bare by the Nakba [creation of Israel] carried out the international, Zionist and imperialist power, which didn't have the right to allow [the creation of Israel], for those who didn't have the right [the Zionists].

Is he calling the UN the “international, Zionist and imperialist power?” The same UN that he goes screaming to every time he wants another resolution passed condemning Israel? The same UN that mandated the creation of the State of Israel?

Arafat ended his speech by quoting the Koran:

Find what strength you have to terrorize your enemy and the enemy of God; if they want peace, then let's have peace.

Peace from Arafat? He’ll never loosen his iron grip over Palestinians unless forced to. He’s already been caught red-handed funding terrorism. Arafat rules by decree, orders summary executions of his own people, and steals UN, US, European aid money. Arafat's own al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade keeps killing innocent Israeli civilians with firebombs packed with nuts, bolts, nails, and screws. Arafat speaks of peace in English, while in Arabic he and his cronies advocate Israel’s destruction.[1]

Call me a pessimist, but the majority of Palestinians won’t accept the existence of Israel until they’re forced to. Some 62% support homicide bombings, while eighty percent of Israelis want peace. About 150,000 Israelis turned out Saturday in Tel Aviv to show their support for peace. I’ve never seen a Palestinian peace demonstration. I have seen lots of Arab demonstrations where participants wave machine guns and call for the destruction of Israel. This is a simple contrast between people who’ve been raised in a culture of hatred (Palestinians) and people who’ve been enculturated with the ideals of democracy and the rule of law (Israelis).

[1] Benjamin Netanyahu, “A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations,” Warner Books, Inc., New York, N.Y., 2000.