Democratic Palestine : 6 (ص 34)
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- Democratic Palestine : 6 (ص 34)
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Palestinian Information
Tasks and Perspectives
a
This is the conclusion of the essay by Bassam Abu Sharif which we began publishing in «Democratic
Palestine» no.4. The entire essay has been published as a booklet by the International Organization of
Journalists (lOJ).
There was an atmosphere of despair in the Arab region
following the defeat of the Arab regimes in 1967. It was caused
by a great disappointment among the masses resulting from
the collapse of their hope that they would attain victory over the
Zionist enemy on the basis of programs and actions of the pat-
riotic, bourgeois regimes. Suddenly, during several hours, the
dreams of a nation collapsed, which for so long had depended
on the military forces of these regimes, imagining that they
would implement their aspirations. Any patriotic mobilization or
information activity in this situation was extremely difficult: It
was necessary to bring about a quick change in this atmos-
phere.
On a worldwide scene the imperialist-Zionist information
machinery spread its poison and hatred, flaunting the Arab
defeat. On the one hand it exaggerated, telling public opinion
that the Arabs were stronger and were the aggressor. At the
same time it exaggerated the genius and «heroism of the
Israelis», who despite their small number and their limited pos-
sibilities were able to strike a powerful blow against the Arab
giant.
And Zionism dug out of the depths of memory of all the
Jews in the world the story they had learned in religious
schools about David and Goliath. And they claimed that the
prophecy had been fulfilled and that little David with a-slingshot
had defeated Goliath armed from head to foot.
Such were the real conditions for the information activities
which, following the defeat of 1967, some Palestinian groups
began to conduct on the world scene. But even more difficult
were activities in the Arab field. Face to face with hundreds of
thousands refugees who streamed across the River Jordan
seeking protection for the second time since 1948, face to face
with the overwhelming defeat of the Arab military machine, and
in the general despair prevailing in the Arab region, patriotic
mobilization activity had a most difficult task and could not
expect results in the forseeable future.
There were doubts as to whether the efforts of those
pioneers who tried to spread the spirit of revival and resistance
among the masses could ever change the course of events.
Despite the lack of organization and disunity in this field,
the strength of the Palestinian cause was felt in spreading the
34
spirit of revival, using means that combined and carried on
parallel mobilization work. For every enemy bullet that hit its
target, the pioneers came up with hundreds of words for mobili-
zation. And for every fighter who fell, the funeral was accom-
panied by hundreds of promises pledging to persist. Hope
flared from the first sparks inspired by an objective view of the
situation of the defeated regimes and the feeling of the masses
that the fatal battle was still ahead.
This approach was correct. Palestinian information work-
ers started from the true reality and on the basis of this they
advanced with healthy ideas and with authentic reality to a
national and worldwide level.
1967 - 1970
Between 1967 and 1970 Palestinian information activities
set as their goal to imbue the Palestinian masses with a spirit
of patriotism and to mobilize Arab public opinion in support of
the Palestinian revolution and the armed struggle as the path
to the liberation of Palestine.On a worldwide scale they set as
their goal to strengthen awareness of the fact that there exists
a Palestinian people and a Palestinian national liberation
movement, that there exist the firm inalienable rights of the
Arab Palestinian people to their own homeland - Palestine.
On a worldwide scale, in the early months after the defeat,
diverse efforts were expanded in order to explain the tragedy
which had befallen the Arab people of Palestine. By word and
picture attention was directed now to the new camps of Pales-
tinian refugees. Among those who mounted such efforts were
the Associations of Friends of Jerusalem, UNESCO's film sec-
tion, and the Jordanian Ministry of Information, apart from the
individual activities of certain Palestinian personalities.
However, starting in 1968, activity gradually was taken
over by components of the resistance movement who in the
meantime had begun military action against the Zionist enemy,
and for the first time the character of Palestinian information
activities changed. They became a fighter for the revolution in
order to transmit its ideas. This contributed to reinforcing an
awareness that there exists a Palestinian people and a Pales-
tinian movement fighting for certain rights.
Thanks to the heroic struggle of Palestinian fighters, - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 6
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