Palestinian Media Watch Bulletin
September 7, 2004
PALESTINIAN MEDIA WATCH
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Palestinian Authority: Terrorist/murderer Samir Quntar is a "hero", "leader"
and "model of a brilliant warrior"
By Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

Introduction
Societies measure their heroes in different ways. Some societies honor
athletes or performers. Others celebrate caregivers and humanitarian
workers. The Palestinians, on the other hand, have consistently chosen to
honor murderers as their national icons.

During the recent PA prisoners' hunger strike, Palestinian TV repeatedly
singled out one such murderer - Samir Quntar - and turned him into a
Palestinian hero.

In 1979, Quntar crossed into northern Israel from Lebanon, and took Danny
Haran and his four-year-old daughter, Einat, as hostages, to bring them to
Lebanon. When the Israeli army arrived, Quntar murdered Danny and Einat.
Danny's other daughter also died in the attack. Quntar was captured, and
received multiple life sentences totalling 542 years in prison.

PATV and PA leaders see Quntar as a hero, and the hunger strike was used as
an opportunity to promote Quntar. His picture was repeatedly shown on TV
and he was proclaimed the "model warrior," "brave," and a "leader" and
"head" of the prisoners.

PA Minister of Prisoners, Hisham Abdul Razeq, defined Quntar as the leader
of the prisoners:
"The torch of freedom [that] was lifted by our heroic prisoners and headed
by the great warrior Samir Quntar...and our thanks to you."
[PATV, Aug. 15, 2004]

PA TV extolled him:
"Quntar is a model of a brilliant warrior - who believes in his goals,
knows his way, and perseveres in achieving those goals...."
[PATV, Aug. 18, 2004]

Quntar's picture was broadcast repeatedly on PA TV

Prominent PA TV broadcaster Muhammad Albaz:
"Here before us is the picture of the great Lebanese Palestinian warrior
Samir Quntar. A thousand blessings to the warrior Samir Quntar [the
audience claps] and to his family in Lebanon and to this hero who was
sentenced to 576 year [in prison] and this is the evil and this is Israeli
democracy."
[PATV, Aug. 25, 2004]

Another TV broadcaster referred to him as a leader:
"The leader Samir Quntar, our wish for him is that he will soon be
released."
[PATV, Aug. 18, 2004]

A broadcast describing Quntar's life defines his murder as "brave:"
"He was sentenced to 542 years in prison for committing the brave Nahariya
action in Palestine."
[PATV, Aug. 18, 2004]

Note also that, consistent with PA teaching, the northern Israel city of
Nahariya is defined as "Palestine."

Quntar was singled out again by the PA Minister of Prisoners and Released
[prisoners], Hisham Abdul Razeq, at the end of the hunger strike:
"Blessings to all our Arab prisoners who are in the Israeli prisons,
starting with the leader of these prisoners, the warrior Samir Quntar,
continuing with all our prisoners who are in the Israeli prisons..."
[PATV, Sep. 2, 2004]

Because of this campaign by the PA, Quntar is now a Palestinian hero, and
demonstrators supporting the hunger strike singled out Quntar as a model to
be followed:

"We bless the family members of Samir Quntar, we are with you. He is your
son but he is also our son, the son of Palestine. We ask of Allah, that
there will be 100 more Samir Quntars, 1,000 more Samir Quntars, 1,000,000
more Samir Quntars, that do and act for the Palestinian issue."
[PATV, Aug. 18, 2004]

This promotion of Quntar as a hero reinforces the message to the PA
population that the murder of Israeli civilians is not merely acceptable,
but even admirable and heroic.

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