ZGram - 10/9/2001 - "A very telling poll"

[Matt Giwer]

On Tue, 9 Oct 2001, Ingrid Rimland wrote:

>Copyright (c) 2001 - Ingrid A. Rimland
>
> ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny
>
>October 9, 2001
>
> Good Morning from the Zundelsite:
>
>Don't give up hope!  More people are informed about the possibility that
>the WTC disaster has deeper tentacles than would have ever met the eye.
>Read these amazing statistics put out by the Palestine Media Center:
>
>[START]
>
>  Americans Support Mideast Policy Change
>
>  08 October 2001

	And in response

   The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition

   -

   23 Tishri 5762 02:18 Wednesday October 10, 2001

   Israel vs bin Laden in information war
   By Herb Keinon

   JERUSALEM (October 10) - With Osama bin Laden blaming Israel for his
   attacks on America, and a Newsweek poll showing a majority of Americans
   believes terror against America has to do with its close ties with
   Israel, the Foreign Ministry has begun an information campaign to
   disabuse people of this notion.

   "We are in a difficult position," one Foreign Ministry official said.
   "On the one hand we want to keep a low profile. On the other hand, we
   don't want it to be so low that we don't counter attempts to link us to
   bin Laden's attacks."

   The official described this linkage as "very dangerous."

   A Foreign Ministry team on Monday set up three working groups to deal
   with the US operation in Afghanistan: the first will coordinate
   diplomatic policy toward the US, the second will chart the country's
   information campaign during the crisis, and the third will liaison with
   Diaspora communities.

   In its attempt to show there is no linkage between the attacks on New
   York and Washington and Israel, the ministry has drawn up a number of
   talking points for representatives abroad. In addition, it is in the
   process of sending a number of prominent Israelis abroad to give
   briefings on why there is no linkage between bin Laden's attacks and US
   ties to Israel.

   The talking points distributed to Israeli delegations abroad include
   instructions not to bring up the linkage issue, but to be prepared with
   answers if it comes up in the local media. The talking points include the
   following:

   * The attacks on the US were not the result of any specific US policy,
   but rather because of what the US represents. The attacks are part of the
   war that fundamentalist, undemocratic forces have declared on the
   enlightened, democratic world.

   * The 1991 Gulf War was an ideological turning point for these
   movements, when the US stationed forces in Islam's "holy of holies" -
   Saudi Arabia.

   A number of years later bin Laden published various religious edicts
   against the US, saying that the US was defiling the place where the
   Prophet Muhammad lived.

   * Bin Laden has been behind a number of terrorist actions in Moslem
   states. His basic goal is to replace secular Moslem regimes with regimes
   based on Islamic law - all of which has no connection at all with Israel.

   * Bin Laden told the Italian newspaper La Republica in August 1998 that
   the "International Islamic Front declares that the war has begun." The
   preparation for the recent attacks in the US started no later than June
   2000, before the Camp David summits, when negotiations between Israel and
   the Palestinians were going strong - which shows that the attacks were
   divorced from any connection to the Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic
   process.

   * Attempts to show "understanding" for terror must be utterly
   rejected, and dismissed as attempts to "justify the unjustifiable." Those
   who show an "understanding" for terror are justifying and encouraging it.

	When you wish to see who puts the US first, watch who mimics these
talking points.

-- 
Let it be the last word on every Palestinian's lips.
Let it be the last word every Israeli hears.
		FREEDOM!
	-- The Iron Webmaster, 441