Yasir Arafat

Yasir Arafat’s Timeline of Terror

The media is focusing much attention on Yasir Arafat's legacy. Many of the historical briefs and timelines being published whitewash his decades-long involvement in terrorism. Below is a timeline of some of the key events and terrorist acts associated with Arafat.

Arafat’s War: Palestinian Policy Through the Oslo Years

Arafat's War: The Man and His Battle for Israeli Conquest
By Efraim Karsh
Grove Press, 2003

A riveting and invaluable new book that offers the first comprehensive account of Palestinian policy through the Oslo years.

UPDATED: Philadelphia Inquirer Blunders on Arafat

In the Philadelphia Inquirer's Nov. 11 front page story, "Yasir Arafat is Dead," reporter Carol Rosenberg did not shy away from certain truths about the departed Palestinian leader. She mentioned his hijackings, hostage-takings, and massacres, as well as his plans for the destruction of Israel. At the same time, the article contained a string of inexplicable errors and puzzling blunders.

USA Today’s Arafat Obituary Distorts History

Yasir Arafat is buried as he lived, in a shroud of lies. These include lies of commission, omission and of minor facts used to obscure larger truths. Common in coverage of Arafat's death, they stem from uncritical acceptance of conventional wisdom as much as from any intent to deceive. But they are nonetheless dangerous, contributing to revisionist Arab-Israeli history.

To Gwynne Dyer, Terror is What Arafat Did “Right”

In a column published by the New London Day ("Arafat's Legacy", Nov 7) and the Philadelphia Inquirer ("Arafat's reign", Nov. 3), syndicated columnist Gwynne Dyer included serious factual errors, as well as an implied endorsement of Arafat's terror.

NPR’s Second Intifada

In the final segment of its seven part series on Middle East history, National Public Radio covered the so-called second Palestinian Intifada. As in the previous segments, NPR once again offered up a highly skewed lineup of experts, with critics of Israel heavily represented and pro-Israel voices virtually absent.

BBC’s Profiles Obscure Reality

More than a year ago (2001-2002), BBC posted on its Web site several profiles of Middle Eastern leaders and groups. The profiles whitewashed Palestinian terrorist figures while, at the same time, harshly disparaging the Israeli prime minister. Despite letters to BBC about its unfair and biased features, the profiles remain unrevised on the Web site. Unfortunately, the misinformation in these features has been quoted and repeated as fact in English language newspapers across the world. For BBC to post such blatantly biased profiles is a violation of its own ethical code of impartiality, accuracy and fairness.

Time Magazine Whitewashes Hamas, Tars Sharon

In a case of inverting truth, a Time Magazine photo essay presented a skewed, pejorative characterization of Sharon but a euphemistic picture of Hamas terrorists...

CBS’ 60 Minutes Exposes “The Arafat Papers”

On Sunday, September 29, 2002, 60 Minutes broadcast a highly informative segment (see transcript below) called “The Arafat Papers.” In it, the network allowed Israel to present evidence from documents found in Arafat's compound proving that Iran and Iraq have provided planning, training and funding for some of the many Palestinian terrorist attacks inside Israel and the territories.