Special Dispatch - Egypt/Jihad and Terrorism Studies
November 25, 2002
No. 442

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Editors of Egyptian Government Papers Hail the Recent Suicide Bombing in a
Jerusalem Neighborhood

The editors of Egyptian government papers hailed a suicide bombing that was
recently carried out by Hamas in a Jerusalem neighborhood. At the same time
senior Egyptian officials, along with Fatah representatives were reportedly
trying to persuade Hamas representatives in the Fatah-Hamas dialogue in
Cairo to avoid terrorist attacks inside Israel. The following are excerpts
from the editorials:

Al-Akhbar: "Eleven Israeli Terrorist Killed"

An editorial in the Egyptian government paper Al-Akhbar titled "The
Jerusalem Operation: The Only Response to Israeli Terrorism," stated that
"eleven Israeli terrorists were killed in this operation." The editorial
continued: "Reacting to all of the inhuman acts of the Zionist entity
intended to subdue the Palestinian people, a martyrdom operation took place
yesterday [November 21, 2002] in occupied Jerusalem in order to prove
conclusively that Israel deludes itself in its belief that its
uncontrollable appetite to kill, destroy, and terrorize will bring security
and peace."

"It is inconceivable that the ruling gang in Tel-Aviv will succeed in
fulfilling its hope of subduing the Palestinians and forcing them to accept
the conditions of submission that Israel has been trying to impose on them
for more than half a century."

"This operation in which eleven Israeli terrorists were killed and dozens
were wounded stems from a number of reasons, the first of which is that this
operation is a consequence of a brave ambush prepared by Palestinian martyrs
... in Hebron which ... because of the state of madness that over took the
ruling Israeli gang led by Ariel Sharon, who seeks to spill more Palestinian
blood, especially the blood of children, women, the elderly, and the brave
people of resistance."

"In essence, everybody knows that the resistance is the only way for
liberation, and there is no alternative. This weapon, the weapon of
legitimate force, is the only weapon that Israel fears. Only the resistance
can smash the Israeli arrogance and idiocy of its leaders."(1)

Al-Gumhuriyya: "This Valiant Courageous Operation... The Most Honorable
Mission"

The editor of the Al-Gumhuriyya daily, Sameer Ragab also wrote in his daily
column about the attack in Jerusalem: "The brave Palestinians will continue
to be regarded as terrorists by the Israelis as long as they carryout
martyrdom operations by which they are trying to react to [just] a few of
the crimes committed against them!!! The Israelis will not enjoy security
nor stability, as long as they insist on remaining in the territories that
they occupied by force and [continue] to destroy homes over the heads of
their owners and to spill the blood of innocent people without any pangs of
conscious."

"Yesterday a 23 year-old Palestinian martyr blew himself up in a bus in
Jerusalem and consequently eleven Israelis were killed, forty-seven wounded,
of whom, nine are in critical condition!!! Of course this operation is not
the first one, and shall not be the last one, as long as the Israelis
continue the policy of oppression, stubbornness, and treachery. [This is]
especially so, because they do not want to understand that violence breads
violence. The more frustration in the hearts of hopeless people, the more
the flames of rage rise."

"Jerusalem's Mayor Ehud Olmert ... looking at the remains of the bodies
said, 'we deluded ourselves into believing that terrorism came to an end,
but it apparently continues.' Understandably, Olmert who has close ties
with the bloody handed Sharon, is entitled to consider those who carried out
this valiant, courageous operation as 'terrorists,' overlooking the fact
that Israel is a terrorist state in its words and actions, in its appearance
and ideas, and that most of its leaders are nothing but war criminals that
will not be spared by the tribunal of history, even if it takes a long
time."

"At the same time, Minister of Foreign Affairs Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon began, as is their wont, to threaten every
Palestinian, from Yasser Arafat to the most recently born Palestinian baby.
These are insane cries which further complicate the crisis so that the cycle
of violence will continue: The Israelis will wake up in the morning put
their victims in plastic bags, and a few hours later the Palestinians will
embrace each other having pronounced the Shahada (i.e. the Islamic
declaration of faith) and be on the way to carryout the most noble,
precious, and honorable mission."(2)

"It Is the Jews Who Are Behind Every Calamity"

On the following day (November 23, 2002) the Al-Gumhuriyya editor Sameer
Ragab took up the subject again: "On the one-hundredth, perhaps the
one-thousandth time, we ask: 'Will reoccupation of the Palestinian areas by
Israel and the imposition of curfews, and the destruction of homes - Will
all this stop martyrdom operations or bring an end to what they call
terrorism?'"

"It is amazing and even shocking that they in Israel don't learn. Whenever
they have a few dozen victims, those who contend for the position of prime
minister are quick to demand harsh violent revenge. We must again reiterate
that Israel is the cause for all that is happening, because it refuses to
understand that the age of governing by virtue of military power is over and
that the Palestinians have reached a stage in which it is no longer possible
to disregard even the slightest of their rights."

"Don't blame Arafat and his men; it is the Jews who are behind every
calamity!"(3)

Al-Ahram: When Will Israel Learn?

The editorial of the leading Egyptian government daily Al-Ahram was
relatively restrained. Under the title "When will the Leaders of Israel
Learn their Lesson" the paper stated:

"Once again, a martyrdom operation in West Jerusalem yesterday, in which
eleven Israelis were killed and forty-nine were injured, proved that
violence breads nothing but violence and that security measures as tight as
they maybe will not prevent the bloodshed of such operations and that the
only solution is the return to the negotiating table and the achievement of
a peaceful solution that will satisfy both sides and will realize their
legitimate claims, especially the one relating to the declaration of a new
Palestinian state."(4)

Endnotes:
(1) Al-Akhbar (Egypt), November 22, 2002.
(2) Al-Gumhuriyya (Egypt), November 22, 2002.
(3) Al-Gumhuriyya (Egypt), November 23, 2002.
(4) Al-Ahram (Egypt), November 23, 2002.

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