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{{Main|Battle of Jenin}}
{{Main|Battle of Jenin}}


Erekat, the most prominent representative on Western television stations for the Palestinians,<ref name="JpostPen">[http://www.take-a-pen.org/english/Articles/LiarLiar1.html "Liar, liar" by Bret Stephens], [[Jerusalem Post]], Dec. 26, 2002 (hosted on take-a-pen.org) ([http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/273207561.html?dids=273207561:273207561&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Dec+27%2C+2002&author=BRET+STEPHENS&pub=Jerusalem+Post&edition=&startpage=16.B&desc=Liar%2C+liar source])</ref> came under criticism after Palestinian spokesmen, himself included, characterized Israel's operations in Jenin as a massacre since its early stages.<ref name=Rice>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0205/05/le.00.html CNN Transcripts: Interview with Condoleezza Rice; Last Chance for Arafat?; How to Best Protect the Cockpit?]<br>BLITZER: Mr. Erakat, you probably know that you've come under some widespread criticism here in the United States for initially charging that the Israelis were engaged in a massacre in Jenin. Perhaps 500 Palestinians murdered in that massacre, you suggested. But now all of the evidence suggests that perhaps 53 or 56 Palestinians died in that fighting in Jenin.</ref><ref name="JpostPen"/><ref>[http://www.jcpa.org/art/brief1-22.htm JCPA Issue Brief: What Really Happened in Jenin?]</ref><ref name=CAMERA>[http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_article=217&x_context=7 'BACKGROUNDER: A Study in Palestinian Duplicity and Media Indifference'] by Yehuda Kraut ([[CAMERA]])<br>* April 7, 'Israel warns Lebanon, Syria they risk a new border war' by Betsy Pisik, Washington Times ([http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-1720427_ITM&referid=2090 source])</ref><ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0206/05/cf.00.html CNN Transcripts: Israel Retaliates to Suicide Bombing by Invading Arafat Compound]</ref><ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0205/01/bn.13.html CNN Transcripts: Massive Gunfire Outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity]</ref> Erekat repeated unsubstantiated<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3015814.stm 'Jenin rises from the dirt' by Ken Lee], [[BBC]], June 24, 2003</ref><ref name="evidence"/> claims that, ''"people were massacred. And we say the number will not be less than 500 [in the [[Jenin]] refugee camp]"'', ''"the Jenin refuge camp is no longer in existence"'',<ref name="500+">[http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0204/17/wbr.00.html CNN Transcripts: Secretary Powell Leaves Middle East Empty Handed; Palestinians Remain Under Israeli Siege]<br>ERAKAT: I have a suggestion to make... let them go to Jenin... There is no longer a refugee camp there... the camp was totally destroyed. They conducted terror. They're not out there to fight terror. They are conducting terror... an international commission of inquiry to get the results (ph) and to decide how many people were massacred. And we say the number will not be less than 500.</ref><ref name="JpostPen">[http://www.take-a-pen.org/english/Articles/LiarLiar1.html "Liar, liar" by Bret Stephens], [[Jerusalem Post]], Dec. 26, 2002 (hosted on take-a-pen.org) ([http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/273207561.html?dids=273207561:273207561&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Dec+27%2C+2002&author=BRET+STEPHENS&pub=Jerusalem+Post&edition=&startpage=16.B&desc=Liar%2C+liar source])</ref><ref name=Rice/><ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0204/10/i_ins.00.html CNN Transcripts: Colin Powell's Challenge]</ref>, ''"[Israel is] trying to cover up [a massacre]"''<ref name="evidence">[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0204/14/lol.01.html CNN Transcripts: Jerusalem: Could Mideast Conflict Widen?; Powell Meets With Sharon, Arafat; Are U.S. Interests Affected by the Crisis?]<br>Palestinians have charged that the Israeli army was trying to cover up a massacre, something the military in Israel strongly denies.<br>ERAKAT: I don't have evidence... They're trying to cover up"</ref>, and that he ''"stand[s] by the term "massacres" were committed in the refugee camp."'' as witnesses told him that, ''"they dug graveyards and have buried a lot of people"''<ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0204/15/bn.09.html CNN Transcripts: 'Interview With Ariel Sharon']</ref> Claims which were widely refuted as being false.<ref name="Qadoura56">[http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/jenin.htm 'Jenin "massacre" reduced to death toll of 56' by Paul Martin, ''Washington Times'' (host site)] [http://www.rense.com/general24/dt.htm (mirror host)]</ref><ref name=UN>[http://www.un.org/peace/jenin/ UN Report on Jenin] ([http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/ES-10/186&Lang=E Source PDF]) - Pg 11-12, Para 52-53, 56-57</ref><ref name=Rice>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0205/05/le.00.html CNN Transcripts: Interview with Condoleezza Rice; Last Chance for Arafat?; How to Best Protect the Cockpit?]</ref><ref name="NOMBBC">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2165272.stm 'UN says no massacre in Jenin'], [[BBC]]</ref><ref>[http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2033593,00.html UN states: There wasn't a massacre in the Jenin refugee camp], [[Yedioth Ahronoth]] {{languageicon|he|Hebrew}}</ref><ref name="Haarerz">[http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=193219 U.N. General Council will discuss the Jenin report], [[Haaretz]] {{languageicon|he|Hebrew}}</ref>
Erekat, the most prominent representative on Western television stations for the Palestinians,<ref name="JpostPen">[http://www.take-a-pen.org/english/Articles/LiarLiar1.html "Liar, liar" by Bret Stephens], [[Jerusalem Post]], Dec. 26, 2002 (hosted on take-a-pen.org) ([http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/273207561.html?dids=273207561:273207561&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Dec+27%2C+2002&author=BRET+STEPHENS&pub=Jerusalem+Post&edition=&startpage=16.B&desc=Liar%2C+liar source])</ref> came under criticism after Palestinian spokesmen, himself included, characterized Israel's operations in Jenin as a massacre since its early stages.<ref name=Rice>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0205/05/le.00.html CNN Transcripts: Interview with Condoleezza Rice; Last Chance for Arafat?; How to Best Protect the Cockpit?]<br>BLITZER: Mr. Erakat, you probably know that you've come under some widespread criticism here in the United States for initially charging that the Israelis were engaged in a massacre in Jenin. Perhaps 500 Palestinians murdered in that massacre, you suggested. But now all of the evidence suggests that perhaps 53 or 56 Palestinians died in that fighting in Jenin.</ref><ref name="JpostPen"/><ref>[http://www.jcpa.org/art/brief1-22.htm JCPA Issue Brief: What Really Happened in Jenin?]</ref><ref name=CAMERA>[http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_article=217&x_context=7 'BACKGROUNDER: A Study in Palestinian Duplicity and Media Indifference'] by Yehuda Kraut ([[CAMERA]])<br>* April 7, 'Israel warns Lebanon, Syria they risk a new border war' by Betsy Pisik, Washington Times ([http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-1720427_ITM&referid=2090 source])</ref><ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0206/05/cf.00.html CNN Transcripts: Israel Retaliates to Suicide Bombing by Invading Arafat Compound]</ref><ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0205/01/bn.13.html CNN Transcripts: Massive Gunfire Outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity]</ref> Erekat repeated unsubstantiated<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3015814.stm 'Jenin rises from the dirt' by Ken Lee], [[BBC]], June 24, 2003</ref><ref name="evidence"/> claims that, ''"people were massacred. And we say the number will not be less than 500 [in the [[Jenin]] refugee camp]"'', ''"the Jenin refuge camp is no longer in existence"'',<ref name="500+">[http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0204/17/wbr.00.html CNN Transcripts: Secretary Powell Leaves Middle East Empty Handed; Palestinians Remain Under Israeli Siege]<br>ERAKAT: I have a suggestion to make... let them go to Jenin... There is no longer a refugee camp there... the camp was totally destroyed. They conducted terror. They're not out there to fight terror. They are conducting terror... an international commission of inquiry to get the results (ph) and to decide how many people were massacred. And we say the number will not be less than 500.</ref><ref name="JpostPen">[http://www.take-a-pen.org/english/Articles/LiarLiar1.html "Liar, liar" by Bret Stephens], [[Jerusalem Post]], Dec. 26, 2002 (hosted on take-a-pen.org) ([http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/273207561.html?dids=273207561:273207561&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Dec+27%2C+2002&author=BRET+STEPHENS&pub=Jerusalem+Post&edition=&startpage=16.B&desc=Liar%2C+liar source])</ref><ref name=Rice/><ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0204/10/i_ins.00.html CNN Transcripts: Colin Powell's Challenge]</ref>, ''"[Israel is] trying to cover up [a massacre]"''<ref name="evidence">[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0204/14/lol.01.html CNN Transcripts: Jerusalem: Could Mideast Conflict Widen?; Powell Meets With Sharon, Arafat; Are U.S. Interests Affected by the Crisis?]<br>Palestinians have charged that the Israeli army was trying to cover up a massacre, something the military in Israel strongly denies.<br>ERAKAT: I don't have evidence... They're trying to cover up"</ref>, and that he ''"stand[s] by the term "massacres" were committed in the refugee camp."'' as witnesses told him that, ''"they dug graveyards and have buried a lot of people"''<ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0204/15/bn.09.html CNN Transcripts: 'Interview With Ariel Sharon']</ref> Claims which were widely refuted as being false.<ref name="Qadoura56">[http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/jenin.htm 'Jenin "massacre" reduced to death toll of 56' by Paul Martin, ''Washington Times'' (host site)] [http://www.rense.com/general24/dt.htm (mirror host)]</ref><ref name=UN>[http://www.un.org/peace/jenin/ UN Report on Jenin] ([http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/ES-10/186&Lang=E Source PDF]) - Pg 11-12, Para 52-53, 56-57</ref><ref name=Rice>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0205/05/le.00.html CNN Transcripts: Interview with Condoleezza Rice; Last Chance for Arafat?; How to Best Protect the Cockpit?]</ref><ref name="NOMBBC">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2165272.stm 'UN says no massacre in Jenin'], [[BBC]]</ref><ref>[http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2033593,00.html UN states: There wasn't a massacre in the Jenin refugee camp], [[Yedioth Ahronoth]] {{languageicon|he|Hebrew}}</ref><ref name="Haarerz">[http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=193219 U.N. General Council will discuss the Jenin report], [[Haaretz]] {{languageicon|he|Hebrew}}</ref> While Erekat rejected the UN report<ref name="NOMBBC"/><ref name="Haarerz"/> the Israeli media leveled the accusation that "the international press prefers hype to facts." and accused Erekat of being a liar.<ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3280038,00.html 'Jenin massacre syndrome' by Sever Plocker], [[Yedioth Ahronoth]]</ref><ref name="JpostPen"/>


===Jewish state controversy===
===Jewish state controversy===

Revision as of 17:48, 5 February 2008

File:Saeb-erekat.jpg
Saeb Erekat

Saeb Erakat (Sa'ib Muhammad Salih 'Urayqat. Arabic: صائب عريقات, born 1955 in Jerusalem) is the chief of the PLO Steering and Monitoring Committee. He negotiated the Oslo Accords with Israel and remained chief negotiator from 1995 until May 2003, when he resigned in protest from the Palestinian government. He quickly reconciled with his party and was reappointed to the post in September 2003. Saeb Erekat is currently part of the Israel-Fatah negotiations team working to establish a Palestinian state.

Personal life

Saeb Erekat was born on April 28 1955 in Jerusalem. He is married with twin daughters and two sons. Erekat received a BA and MA in International Relations at San Francisco State University, and he received a doctorate in Peace Studies at the University of Bradford in England. He returned to lecture in Political Science at the An-Najah National University in the West Bank town of Nablus, and also served for 12 years on the editorial board of Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds.[1] Erekat is the author of eight books and numerous research papers on foreign policy, oil and conflict resolution. He also served as secretary general of the Arab Studies Society.

Chief Negotiator

Erekat has participated in numerous peace negotiations with Israel. He was deputy head of the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid Conference in 1991 and the 1992-1993 follow-up talks in Washington. In 1995, he served as Chief Negotiator for the Palestinians during the Oslo period, including the Camp David meetings in 2000 and the negotiations at Taba in 2001. He also acted as Yasser Arafat's interpreter from English. When Mahmoud Abbas was nominated to serve as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Legislative Council in early 2003, Erekat was slated to be Minister of Negotiations in the new cabinet, but he soon resigned after he was excluded from a delegation to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. This was interpreted as part of an internal Palestinian power struggle between Abbas and Arafat.[2][3] Erekat was later reappointed to his post and participated in the 2007 Annapolis Conference, where he took over from Ahmed Qureia during an impasse and helped hammer out a joint declaration.[4]

Controversies

Battle of Jenin controversy

Main article: Battle of Jenin

Erekat, the most prominent representative on Western television stations for the Palestinians,[5] came under criticism after Palestinian spokesmen, himself included, characterized Israel's operations in Jenin as a massacre since its early stages.[6][5][7][8][9][10] Erekat repeated unsubstantiated[11][12] claims that, "people were massacred. And we say the number will not be less than 500 [in the Jenin refugee camp]", "the Jenin refuge camp is no longer in existence",[13][5][6][14], "[Israel is] trying to cover up [a massacre]"[12], and that he "stand[s] by the term "massacres" were committed in the refugee camp." as witnesses told him that, "they dug graveyards and have buried a lot of people"[15] Claims which were widely refuted as being false.[16][17][6][18][19][20] While Erekat rejected the UN report[18][20] the Israeli media leveled the accusation that "the international press prefers hype to facts." and accused Erekat of being a liar.[21][5]

Jewish state controversy

Erekat, part of the Israeli-Fatah negotiations team has been noted by the Israeli media and criticized for stating in November 2007 that the Palestinians will not accept Israel as 'Jewish state' and for his radio statement that, "no state in the world connects its national identity to a religious identity." Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime minister was noted replying that, "We won't hold negotiations on our existence as a Jewish state, this is a launching point for all negotiations," while others noted the fallacy in Erekat's latter claim regarding religious identities.[22][23][24][25]

See also

References

  1. ^ About Saeb Erekat (Google Translated) BBC Arabic (original Template:Languageicon)
  2. ^ Profile: Saeb Erakat BBC News, 4 September 2003
  3. ^ Q & A with Saeb Erekat Jerusalem Post, 1 February 2005
  4. ^ Ha'aretz: Annapolis joint statement was completed with just minutes to spare (28 Nov 2007)
  5. ^ a b c d "Liar, liar" by Bret Stephens, Jerusalem Post, Dec. 26, 2002 (hosted on take-a-pen.org) (source)
  6. ^ a b c CNN Transcripts: Interview with Condoleezza Rice; Last Chance for Arafat?; How to Best Protect the Cockpit?
    BLITZER: Mr. Erakat, you probably know that you've come under some widespread criticism here in the United States for initially charging that the Israelis were engaged in a massacre in Jenin. Perhaps 500 Palestinians murdered in that massacre, you suggested. But now all of the evidence suggests that perhaps 53 or 56 Palestinians died in that fighting in Jenin. Cite error: The named reference "Rice" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  7. ^ JCPA Issue Brief: What Really Happened in Jenin?
  8. ^ 'BACKGROUNDER: A Study in Palestinian Duplicity and Media Indifference' by Yehuda Kraut (CAMERA)
    * April 7, 'Israel warns Lebanon, Syria they risk a new border war' by Betsy Pisik, Washington Times (source)
  9. ^ CNN Transcripts: Israel Retaliates to Suicide Bombing by Invading Arafat Compound
  10. ^ CNN Transcripts: Massive Gunfire Outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity
  11. ^ 'Jenin rises from the dirt' by Ken Lee, BBC, June 24, 2003
  12. ^ a b CNN Transcripts: Jerusalem: Could Mideast Conflict Widen?; Powell Meets With Sharon, Arafat; Are U.S. Interests Affected by the Crisis?
    Palestinians have charged that the Israeli army was trying to cover up a massacre, something the military in Israel strongly denies.
    ERAKAT: I don't have evidence... They're trying to cover up"
  13. ^ CNN Transcripts: Secretary Powell Leaves Middle East Empty Handed; Palestinians Remain Under Israeli Siege
    ERAKAT: I have a suggestion to make... let them go to Jenin... There is no longer a refugee camp there... the camp was totally destroyed. They conducted terror. They're not out there to fight terror. They are conducting terror... an international commission of inquiry to get the results (ph) and to decide how many people were massacred. And we say the number will not be less than 500.
  14. ^ CNN Transcripts: Colin Powell's Challenge
  15. ^ CNN Transcripts: 'Interview With Ariel Sharon'
  16. ^ 'Jenin "massacre" reduced to death toll of 56' by Paul Martin, Washington Times (host site) (mirror host)
  17. ^ UN Report on Jenin (Source PDF) - Pg 11-12, Para 52-53, 56-57
  18. ^ a b 'UN says no massacre in Jenin', BBC
  19. ^ UN states: There wasn't a massacre in the Jenin refugee camp, Yedioth Ahronoth Template:Languageicon
  20. ^ a b U.N. General Council will discuss the Jenin report, Haaretz Template:Languageicon
  21. ^ 'Jenin massacre syndrome' by Sever Plocker, Yedioth Ahronoth
  22. ^ Erekat: Palestinians will not accept Israel as 'Jewish state' by Barak Ravid, (Haaretz)
  23. ^ 'Israel and Palestinians: The crucial issue' by Ami Isseroff
  24. ^ 'Palestinians have no right to decide Israel's identity' by Rabbi Aaron Bergman, The Detroit News
  25. ^ 'Defining a Nation', The Forward
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