ei: Economist: Jenin's massacre myth

Printed in the August 24, 2002 edition of The Economist

SIR - You say that "Palestinians accused Israel of massacring up to 500 civilians" in Jenin ("Naught for your comfort", August 10th). While this charge is widely attributed to Palestinians--even in Kofi Annan's UN report--we have been wholly unable to locate any direct quote from any Palestinian official making it in any media. The confusion appears to have originated when a Palestinian cabinet minister, Saeb Erekat, told CNN on April 10th of unconfirmed reports that up to 500 people had been killed throughout the West Bank in Israel's "Operation Defensive Shield".

The next day, the Jerusalem Post wrote "Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told CNN that Israel had massacred 500 people in the Jenin camp." In fact, looking at the CNN transcript from April 10th, Mr Erekat neither made this claim, nor used the word "massacre". As a publication that sets a higher standard, we urge you to set the record straight, lest one more myth take root among the countless others that fuel the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

Ali Abunimah and Nigel Parry
The Electronic Intifada

The letter as submitted:

Dear Sirs,

You get it badly wrong when your leader states that "Palestinians accused Israel of massacring up to 500 civilians" in Jenin. (Naught for Your Comfort, August 10, 2002)

While this charge is widely attributed to Palestinians, even in UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's report, we have been wholly unable to locate any direct quote from any Palestinian official making it in any media. All of the claims, like yours, are unattributed repetitions.

The confusion appears to have originated when Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat stated in a CNN Interview on April 10 that he was hearing unconfirmed reports that up to 500 people had been killed throughout the West Bank in Israel's "Operation Defensive Shield."

The following day, The Jerusalem Post wrote "Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told CNN that Israel had "massacred" 500 people in the Jenin camp." ("Hundreds of gunmen surrender in Jenin," by Arieh O'Sullivan, April 11, 2002) In fact, looking at the CNN transcript from April 10, Erekat neither made this claim, nor used the word "massacre."

(We have provided quotes and links at: electronicIntifada.net/v2/article499.shtml)

Erekat's fear that hundreds had died has been entirely vindicated by the Secretary General's report, which put the final Palestinian death toll from Israel's reoccupation of the West Bank at 497.

Although Erekat and several other Palestinian officials did later use the term "massacre," the first person to whom it was publicly attributed is Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres in an article in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on April 9, 2002, under the headline "Peres calls IDF operation in Jenin a 'massacre'". Peres is quoted saying "When the world sees the pictures of what we have done there, it will do us immense damage."

This underscores that much of the fear and uncertainty was fuelled by the fact that Israel forcibly kept the world's media and humanitarian organization out of Jenin. Most Palestinian spokesmen were at the time not making wild charges, but rather demanding objective, international witnesses to clear up any confusion. Israel refused this even as some of its generals were themselves saying that hundreds might have died.

Although we believe that no Palestinian ever made the charge that 500 people had been killed in Jenin, supporters of Israel have seized on this canard and by 'disproving it' successfully diverted the world's attention from evidence of serious violations of international law which both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly stated should be investigated.

As a publication that sets a higher standard, we urge you to set the record straight, lest one more myth take root amongst the countless others that fuel the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

Sincerely,

Ali Abunimah and Nigel Parry
The Electronic Intifada