Khaled Abu Toameh lifts the mask on Nabil Shaath's posturing and other tepid and transparent PA attempts at damage control:
Palestinian Authority Information Minister Nabil Shaath on Thursday called for the suspension of a Muslim preacher who delivered a venomously anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist sermon, which described Israel as "a cancer spreading through the body of the Islamic nation."
(Here's a bit of admittedly selective background on Nabil Shaath, by the way. Scattered throughout are several examples showing the depth of Shaath's involvement in the worst corruption of the Arafat regime. On the other hand, " 'We condemn assault of Judaism as a religion. As Muslims we reject such remarks,' Shaath said," back at damage control...)
However, a senior official in the PA Waqf Ministry, which is in charge of the preachers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, told The Jerusalem Post that no measures have been taken yet against the preacher, Ibrahim Mdaires."We won't suspend him just because Israel and the US want so," he said. "We are now studying the complaints and we will announce our decision at a later stage."
A senior PA official in Ramallah expressed fear that the publication of the contents of the sermon would reflect negatively on PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas's upcoming talks with US President George W. Bush. "This is the last thing we need now," he remarked. "This preacher has done grave damage to our cause."
Unfortunately, I see no evidence that he has.
Adli Sadek, a prominent political analyst from the Gaza Strip, criticized Mdaires for his remarks and called for revising political and ideological messages emanating from the Palestinians. "We must polish our messages very carefully, especially those that are broadcast on air," he said.Sadek added that the Palestinians were against attempts to question the number of Jews murdered in the Holocaust. "First, this is not our business since we were not the culprits and the Nazis were not our relatives," he explained. "Secondly, the crimes of the Nazis had a negative impact on us because they are being used by the Zionists to justify their crimes, usurp our land, expand the occupation and oppress our people. But this should not stop us from keeping our statements under control."
Translation: Mudeiris was right, of course, but these aren't the kind of statements that will win us friends, money and more pressure on Israel in Washington. Save them for later, after we've milked that cow dry.
Meanwhile,
Gaza attacks continue; Palestinian "police" take part
And now for the up note.
Israeli singer makes it to Eurovision Song Contest finals. I guess we can expect more of this.
Shabbat Shalom.
