Suha Arafat’s Blood Libel

(November 11, 1999)

On November 11, 1999, during a Gaza appearance with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Suha Arafat, wife of Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Yasser Arafat stated: "Our people have been subjected to the daily and extensive use of poisonous gas by the Israeli forces, which has led to an increase in cancer cases among women and children."

Suha Arafat's accusations are not unique. Following are three examples.

PA Health Minister, Riyadh Al-Za'anoon, stated Israeli doctors "use Palestinian patients… for experimental medicines and training new doctors." (Al-Ayam, July 25, 1998)

PA Deputy Minister of Supplies, Abd Al-Hamid Al-Qudsi, claimed, "Israel carries out a clear policy of annihilating our people and destroying our national economy by smuggling spoiled foodstuff… not fit for human consumption, into PA territories…. Israel did not change its strategy, which aims to kill and destroy our people, rather it began counting on means other than bombs, missiles and planes. These measures are distributing and smuggling spoiled foodstuffs… into the PA territories." (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 22, 1998)

PA Minister of Ecology, Yousef Abu-Safiyyeh, claimed that Israel damages the Palestinian environment by dumping liquid waste, which is a dangerous threat to the groundwater, in Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza. (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 3, 1999)

Source: MEMRI