Entire program – October 8, 2010

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Today on The World: Reaction in China to the news that jailed Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo has been awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. Also, former Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt describes her 6 years of captivity in the jungle. Plus we have an update on Hungary’s toxic sludge spill; those stories and more today on The World.

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One comment for “Entire program – October 8, 2010”

  • Dorn

    Dear The World,

    Matthew Bell’s report today stressed pessimism about Israeli-Palestinian peace talks making headway even if they continue. He was 100% correct on that.

    It was a major mistake of the Obama administration to place the sole focus on settlements in the lead up to talks, while demanding nothing from the Palestinians. This set the stage for failure of the talks before they even start, with Israel taking the blame.

    The media too have given the administration and Palestinians a free ride, while placing all onus on Israel. Matthew Bell has been part of that too, although he has sometimes shown some Israeli viewpoints. How long will it take to point out the real other side of the story?

    (1) The Palestinians refused to make any reciprocal gestures for the settlement freeze: in particular, they rejected Israel’s request that Israel be recognized as the homeland of the Jewish people. Mahmoud Abbas repeatedly rejected this. Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad walked out of a UN meeting with Israel’s Dany Ayalaon at the UN a fortnight ago, rather than accept language that hinted at such recognition.

    Israel’s PM Netanayhu has made repeated public mention of this. I have not heard Bell, or The World, once report this, even as they incessantly punt Palestinians demands and viewpoints.

    (2) The PA entered the talks reluctantly, and deliberately delayed talks until one month before the expiry of the moratorium.

    (3) There is little evidence of Palestinian or broader Arab acceptance of a permanent Israel in any shape or form. Palestinian Authority TV continues to broadcast the most virulent incitement (see http://www.pmr.org) Its children’s programs continue to call Israeli cities (in pre-1967 Israel) “occupied” and to call for violence.
    The PA recently confirmed the death peanlty for anyone selling land to Jews. It recently named town squares, youth camps, computer centers after Dalal Mugrabi and Ami Al-Hindi. Their only claim to “fame” are the worst terror attacks on Israelis.

    (4) Even if Israel gave up all the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the conflict will not end. The Palestinians and broader Arab world have endless demands that will continue the war against Israel. Mahmoud Abbas still demands that descendants of Arab refugees be resettled in pre-1967 Israel, and not in a future Palestinian state. Thus he demands a purely Palestinian state in the West Bank along a state with a major Palestinian minority in what is now Israel. In so doing, he denies the rights of the similar number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands; and sidesteps Arab responsibility for starting the wars that led to BOTH refugee issues.

    (5) Israel has legitimate concerns that receive no attention. First and foremost, is survival. Israel’s Gaza withdrawal led to 10 000 rockets launched into Israel. Israelis rightly fear that the same would happen from the West Bank – but worse, as most Israelis live in the country’s center. Moreover, Israel has been repeatedly attacked by far larger neighbors in the past 62 years. How long will it take to report Israel’s justified concerns?