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Friday, November 18, 2005

Big headline in September, tiny detail in November

In September, during the PA municipal elections, quite a few media outlets trumpeted this fact:
Palestinians Enforce Weapons Display Ban

Friday September 30, 2005 2:01 AM

JERUSALEM (AP) - Palestinian authorities began enforcing a ban on public displays of weapons Thursday, arresting three people and confiscating the guns of off-duty police officers in a key step toward imposing order in the chaotic Gaza Strip.
But it has been six whole weeks, and who can expect the PA to keep up such a restrictive law for so long? After all, Israel will keep conceding to them anyway!
GAZA (Reuters) - Hundreds of Fatah gunmen marched in Gaza and fired in the air on Thursday, demanding reforms for their dominant Palestinian faction ahead of its first vote to choose candidates for a parliamentary election.
And this article about either a different rally at the same time, or the same rally seen through a completely different lens:
Hundreds of members of the Palestinian militant group Al-Aqsa Brigades marched through the streets of Gaza City on Thursday morning demanding jobs and an international inquiry into the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Masked gunmen marched through the streets and arrived for a rally in front of the Palestinian Legislative Council building. Some shot guns into the air and some members were seen displaying missiles. Militants held pictures of the late leader whilst listening to speeches.
Outside of Israeli papers, no media pointed out the obvious fact that Abbas' claim to be enforcing his ban on public displays of weapons has been shown to be a lie.

Another Palestinian pseudo-concession (itself a reaction to the promise to disarm terror groups) bites the dust. And the media somehow doesn't notice it that Palestinian promises are not worth the paper they are written on.