Palestinian Media Watch Bulletin
May 20, 2004
PALESTINIAN MEDIA WATCH
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PA called "Women, Children and Elderly" to Wednesday's Battle
By Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

INTRODUCTION
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has been calling since Monday for "women,
children and elderly" to stand in front of Israeli bulldozers and tanks in
Rafah even though the PA knew Rafah was the site of armed battles between
the Israeli army and Palestinian terrorists.

Israel has apologized over the past two days for injuring and killing
civilians during Wednesday's fighting. The civilians were hurt during the
Israeli army operation to search for terrorists and missiles that the PA
has smuggled from Egypt.

As PMW has reported in the past, the PA consistently urges civilians to put
themselves on the front lines in these military situations. In this case,
the PA-controlled daily newspaper called specifically for "women, children
and elderly" to enter the fray. The PA intentionally placed civilians on
the battlefield, and is ultimately responsible for their fate.

The following is from an article in Monday's PA daily, in which the PA
called for "women, children and elderly" to make an "impassable barrier" in
Rafah. The call was answered, and thousands of civilians marched into the
heart of the battle, thus setting the stage for the accident.

"Ashraf Jumaa , principal of the Abu Iyad school for organizational staff
in Rafah, said to Al-Ayyam that the [civilian] march . will be an
impassable barrier for the occupation bulldozers, and will prevent their
progress to the Rafah neighborhoods. He called for all the citizens women,
children and elderly - to participate. He demanded of all the citizens of
the Rafah district, who left their homes and abandoned them, to return to
those homes and to stay in them. to cause the failure of the occupation's
plans."
[Al-Ayyam, May 17, 2004]

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