THE PALESTINIAN MEDIA and ANTI-AMERICANISM: a CASE STUDY by Hillel Frisch*

THE PALESTINIAN MEDIA AND ANTI-AMERICANISM: A CASE STUDY By Hillel Frisch* This article examines a case study of Palestinian media attitudes toward the United States by analyzing one typical week's coverage by al-Hayat al-Jadida, the most "official" Palestinian daily. The author's analysis shows that while articles relating to the U.S. overwhelmingly condemn its regional policies and usually only reprint foreign writers critical of U.S. policy, the newspaper's anti-Americanism tends to be somewhat veiled and pales in comparison to treatment of Israel. Broadly speaking, there are two basic Through such a normative prism, it is reasons for growing anti-Americanism difficult for Palestinians to acknowledge amongst Arab Palestinians. The first is that the United States forced Israel to that Arab Palestinians had little affinity to vacate the Sinai in 1956; refrained all the democratic and liberal values the these years from moving its embassy to United States represents; the second is Jerusalem; consistently regarded the that they often had divergent interests. territories beyond the1967 armistice lines Arguably the most popular Arab as "occupied territories" and the Palestinian leader of all times, Hajj Amin settlements there as illegal; and has since al-Husayni, had much to say on pan- the Madrid peace process, pressured Arabism, pan-Islamism and local Israel to "roll back," as well as nationalism in his writings. By contrast, engineered two major offers of a he said virtually nothing on democracy Palestinian state on good terms in 2000 at and liberalism, allying with Nazi the Camp David talks and in the Clinton Germany.(1) Yasir Arafat, founder of Plan. Most recently, the United States has resurgent Palestinian nationalism, also repeatedly saved Arafat from a more never indicated any views that drew him severe siege or expulsion by Israel and to the American vision of civilization.(2) pressed Israel on several occasions into In recent decades, the main new returning to the pre-September 2000 development in Palestinian political lines. thought has been the rise of a radical Divergence over interests and Islamist movement. The proportion ideology between Palestinians and the favoring liberal standpoints has remained United States, of course, extends far minute, as shown by surveys conducted beyond the Palestinian-Israeli arena. Both by Palestinian research centers. Palestinian officials and the media take a In such a normative and ideological radical pan-Arab stance on almost all setting, there are no shock absorbers that issues related to the Arab world. The can in any way soften the effects of basic view that Western imperialists are substantial differences between the bent today, as they have been in the past, policies of the United States and the on dividing and subordinating the Arab Palestinians' worldview, despite the world, and that the United States leads Palestinian realization that only the this campaign is as prevalent in Fatah as United States can deliver for them the it is in the more radical factions. This is prospect of the state. 74 Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 7, No. 4 (December 2003) The Palestinian Media and Anti-Americansim: A Case Study why Arafat and the PLO backed Saddam as America today, her allies and Hussein in the 1990-1 Gulf War. protégés, the Zionists and others, Almost nothing the United States does necessitate further sacrifices from in the Middle East is regarded as above our side and closing ranks, oh suspicion. In this sense the Palestinian Muslims, and we will be press is little different from its Syrian and victorious.… By closing ranks the (former) Iraqi counterparts. Adherence to prophet succeeded in overcoming the pan-Arab formula became clear in the Rome, the strongest state, which course of al-Hayat al-Jadida's coverage is equivalent to America today, during the first week of February, which without the fall of even one is subsequently analyzed in this paper. Muslim shahid [Martyr]… The Prophet succeeded, through ASSESSING PALESTINIAN ANTI- Muslim unity and arousing faith, AMERICANISM: A in overcoming the America of METHODOLOGICAL NOTE then, just as we will defeat It is not surprising that under these America, as long as it supports ideological and political conditions, our enemy, as long as it adheres to groups such as MEMRI or Palestinian its positions against our people, Media Watch find numerous and rabid our issue and our holy places, and displays of anti-Americanism in the against our people and its official and officially supported leadership, as long as it adheres to Palestinian media to translate and these wicked positions. We will disseminate. defeat her, may it be the will of For example, a feeling that the United Allah. We see America as the States' involvement in Palestinian politics number one enemy, as long as it reflects an historic and bitter clash of supports our enemy. Aren't we civilizations may be found in a sermon killed by American planes? Are broadcast on the Palestinian Authority our homes not being destroyed by (PA) television station on September 5, American tanks? Are we not 2003 by Ibrahim Madiras: being bombed by American missiles...(3) If we go back 1400 years in time, we find that history is repeating Where official Palestinian sentiment itself, worshipers of Allah. The lies in the context of post-war Iraq is Prophet Mohammed… was equally clear. In his piece entitled besieged by two powers, Persia in "Shaa'hid and the Shahid" [The Witness the east and Rome in the west. and the Martyr--a play on words], one These represent the Soviet Union writer in the Palestinian daily al-Ayyam and America of today.… Persia condemned Iraq's Shi'a religious leaders fell first in the east, just as Russia for standing on the sidelines when fell first in the east, and America morally they should join the ranks of the will fall, may it be Allah's will, martyrs in killing American soldiers to just as Rome fell in the west. fight against Iraq's occupation: However [the fall of] Rome necessitated further challenges, There is consensus in Iraq that closing of ranks and Muslim American and British forces sacrifices. The battle with Rome, symbolize military occupation of in which its power ceased, Iraqi territories... Recent activities necessitated challenges and against [American] forces resistance from the Muslims, just including helicopter interception, Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 7, No. 4 (December 2003) 75 Hillel Frisch bombing of command centers and Towers to portray Iraqis and Palestinians convoys and attacking political as the victims of United States policies targets undoubtedly prove that the and actions, in an obvious and deliberate resistance is getting stronger. And twist of history. that there are many reasons, The cartoon of two smoldering towers foremost among them the of "Iraq" and "Palestine" for example, occupation's fascism and cruelty, appearing in late 2003, was so well which helps the flow of many to received after it was printed in al-Quds, the Iraqi resistance... The Khawza that it was reprinted two days later in al- [Shiite religious institutions] Hayat al-Jadida, the semi-official admit publicly--and cannot do daily. Other cartoons were copied from otherwise--that the U.S. forces are other Arab dailies. For instance, in one a invading forces, but they [the fearful Uncle Sam runs away in terror Khawza institutions] offer unclear being chased by the date "September and unconvincing ways for the 11."(5) In another, the U.S. response to 9- long run concerning the attitude 11 is said to be immoral and towards them [the U.S. forces]. imperialistic: the Twin Towers are The Khawza Shiite institutions try depicted over a mass of dead bodies, to achieve historic benefit from victims of American "imperialism."(6) the presence of these forces... Another variation of these included the even if this involves participation twin towers that form a hammer which in the Ruling Council, which is attacks the Muslim-Arab world in a appointed by the American cartoon marking the second anniversary Governor!!! of the attack, with the text reading: Are the [institutions of the] "September 11--the day of the greatest Khawza capable of maintaining conspiracy against the Arabs and this dangerous balance?! Are they Muslims."(7) capable of reaping substantial Though such media items might be achievements... in this way; after numerous and emanate from the official all, the people of the Shiite and semi-official media, they do not Congregation historically have necessarily indicate the intensity of anti- been Martyrs [Shahids] and view American sentiments and their the Martyrdom [Shahada]--since propagation. The method of random their first Martyr [Shahid], Ali, as choice still leaves the possibility (weak as a sacred obligation. Can the it is given the absence of democratic and Khawza convince the Shiites to liberal practices in the PA) of different [merely] witness [Shaa'hid] the and competing views of the United States increasingly fierce armed being expressed as well. resistance due to the increased Methodologically, and more important American repression and normatively, the appearance of specific humiliation of the entire Iraqi items may indicate intention but not people... Will the Khawza keep overall impact of these articles, news silent and [merely] witness items and cartoons. The effect of an anti- [Shaa'hid], leaning toward the American article once a week is different American occupier in the middle than such an article on a daily basis; of a sea of Martyrs [Shahids]?(4) different weights must be given according to where it appears in the Palestinian anti-Americanism is also newspaper. What must be done then is to reflected in cartoons. Particularly striking engage in content analysis of the media are a series using the image of the Twin over time.

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