From here
http://www.hudson-ny.org/1539/palestinians-english-vs-arabic
Israel’s Partners for Peace: What They Say in English vs. What They Say in Arabic
by Khaled Abu Toameh
September 13, 2010 at 5:00 am
A number of senior Palestinian officials who do not have much credibility among their own people are now trying to sell themselves to Israelis as “partners for peace.”
This is the same group of Palestinians who in the past advised Yasser Arafat to reject then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s offer during the botched Camp David summit in 2000. They were among Arafat’s inner circle when he walked out of the Camp David summit and initiated the “Second Intifada.”
These are also the same officials who, back then, justified the eruption of the intifada as a “natural response” to Israel’s refusal to comply with 100% of the Palestinians’ demands.
Saeb Erekat, Jibril Rajoub and Yasser Abed Rabbo are now trying to persuade the Israeli public that Israel does have partners for peace on the Palestinian side. And who are the new-old partners? Erekat, Rajoub and Abed Rabbo, of course.
With the help of US taxpayers’ dollars, the three, together with other Palestinian officials, are sending their “peace” messages to the Israelis in English. The campaign, according to Palestinians, is being funded by the US Agency for International Development [USAID].
The campaign targets only the Israeli public. No similar messages are being sent to the Palestinians despite promises that they would.
It would have been more effective had the campaign, which some say costs about $250,000, been directed also toward the Palestinian public.
What is wrong with funding a campaign directed toward the Palestinians with a message that talks about peace, coexistence, compromise and cooperation with Israel?: Isn’t there also a need to address the Palestinians about the need for peace and compromise?
Ironically, the same officials who are offering themselves to Israelis as “peace partners,” are, at the same time, telling Palestinians — in Arabic — that Israel does not want peace. The tone in the Palestinian media remains as anti-Israel as ever.




