Arafat's PA Praises Murderer of Israeli Family - Condemns Attack on Radio
Station

Dr. Michael Widlanski Date: 2 May 2004

Yasser Arafat's PA condemned tonight the attack in Gaza by Israeli
helicopters on the Hamas radio station. "This is a cowardly act by a war
criminal," Voice of Palestine quoted a senior Palestinian official.

The Voice of Palestine called the men who carried out the earlier attack
today that left a pregnant mother and her four children dead "an act of
heroic martyrdom". The radio station repeatedly used the term "is tish-had"
(heroic martyrdom) and "mustash-hidin" (heroic martyrs) to describe the act
committed by "two youths". After reporting the attackers names the radio
repeated that they were heroic martyrs.

The Voice of Palestine referred to the victims of the shooting attack as
"five settlers" without mentioning that the attack involved a pregnant women
and four children who were first shot at a distance of several yards and
then finished off from point blank range.

Michael Widlanski, who teaches at the Hebrew University's Rothberg School,
is a former reporter for The New York Times, The Cox Newspapers, and The
Boston Globe. He recently completed his doctorate on the political role of
the Palestinian mass media.