The BBC's Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston is the only Western news correspondent based in Gaza and he's missing, abducted four weeks ago and feared kidnapped.
Today's Australian Newspaper editorialises that the "kidnapping of journalists is an abhorrent practice, representing a war against free speech."
Although the editorial is entitled "KIDNAPPING HOPE", I see nothing in it to bring hope to anyone, let alone Alan Johnston. It opines that this kidnapping and the PA government’s "lack of authority only go to highlight the disintegration of order in the Palestinian territory, where more than 100 people have been killed since last year's elections. The state has slumped into a shambolic hotbed of lawlessness, where armed gangs feud over family, factional and territorial disputes. The fight between Fatah and Hamas, with its various militias and assassinations and targeted killings, has created a civil war as brutal as anything outside Baghdad. Johnston's kidnapping has only raised the stakes further for the Hamas-led Government's legitimacy."
That isn't even half of the story of life today under a Hamas-led government.
Today's Australian Newspaper editorialises that the "kidnapping of journalists is an abhorrent practice, representing a war against free speech."
Although the editorial is entitled "KIDNAPPING HOPE", I see nothing in it to bring hope to anyone, let alone Alan Johnston. It opines that this kidnapping and the PA government’s "lack of authority only go to highlight the disintegration of order in the Palestinian territory, where more than 100 people have been killed since last year's elections. The state has slumped into a shambolic hotbed of lawlessness, where armed gangs feud over family, factional and territorial disputes. The fight between Fatah and Hamas, with its various militias and assassinations and targeted killings, has created a civil war as brutal as anything outside Baghdad. Johnston's kidnapping has only raised the stakes further for the Hamas-led Government's legitimacy."
That isn't even half of the story of life today under a Hamas-led government.
Yesterday, on CORRESPONDENTS REPORT, our own ABC radio highlighted the extent to which Hamas abuses its own children, some as young as 4 years, by encouraging them to view suicide bombers as "martyrs". The glorification of cold-blooded murderers in this fashion is just another version of kidnapping Palestinian style.
When the minds of young children are stolen and the party elected to govern the Palestinians is the agency that is sowing the seeds of hatred in its people even at a young age, then what chance is there for peace and reconciliation between Jew and Arab in the region?
It is time to talk about Palestine!
[FOOTNOTE: The Australian editorial refers to more than 100 people killed since last year's elections. I have been reminded that the figure is well in excess of that. According to Elder of Ziyon who keeps a tally of such things, the number is 163 just this calendar year - a number far in excess of the number of Palestinians killed in IDF operations against Palestinian terrorists (or "militants" if you like).]
When the minds of young children are stolen and the party elected to govern the Palestinians is the agency that is sowing the seeds of hatred in its people even at a young age, then what chance is there for peace and reconciliation between Jew and Arab in the region?
It is time to talk about Palestine!
[FOOTNOTE: The Australian editorial refers to more than 100 people killed since last year's elections. I have been reminded that the figure is well in excess of that. According to Elder of Ziyon who keeps a tally of such things, the number is 163 just this calendar year - a number far in excess of the number of Palestinians killed in IDF operations against Palestinian terrorists (or "militants" if you like).]
4 comments:
If you look a little further in today's Australian and you'll also find this excellent piece in the Cut and Paste Section (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21523225-7583,00.html)
More evidence of Palestinian child abuse (well, not exactly a child but a kid described as a "boy") from Elder of Ziyon
"Boy" electrocutes himself hanging Hamas flag
Sometimes, the autotranslated Arabic cannot be improved upon:
Boy died Sameh Mahmoud Khalilih Raja (17 years) after exposure to electric shock while trying to raise the banner of the Hamas movement, one of the pillars of electricity in the town of Deir al Ghusun north of Tulkarm.
The correspondent quoted security sources as saying that the Boy Khalilih one of the Hamas activists, died instantly when exposed to a high-pressure electric waves on an electric pole in the town of Deir al Ghusun, where the public hospital in the city of Tulkarem lifeless corpse.
This brings the count of PalArabs violently killed by each other (in this case, by their own stupidity) to 163 for this year.
At least the kid died a martyr for the cause.
And here's an item about how the Taliban treats reporters:-
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070408/ts_afp/afghanistanmediaunrest
On Johnston, perhaps this is why he was "kidnapped". I see a book deal coming up - perhaps a Melbourne University Press gig at the writers festival if no other pro-Palestinian can fit it in his/her diary at the time, a debate involving 4 pro-Palestinians against one lone pro-zionist. That's what he's got to look forward to if only he can get out.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173879274996&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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