Bodyguard: Arafat Would Lie When Denouncing Killing of Israeli Civilians

by Joshua Levitt


Muhammad Al-Daya, longtime bodyguard of Yasser Arafat, explained in a recent televised interview how Arafat used to lie when he denounced bombings in Israel.

Arafat “would condemn the bombing in his own special way, saying: ‘I am against the killing of civilians.’ But that wasn’t true,” said Al-Daya, in a BBC Arabic interview that aired on April 3, according to a translation and transcript from MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute.

Al-Daya was asked by thee interviewer: “Ariel Sharon used to say that Arafat was a pathological liar. Many politicians who had dealings with Arafat said he was an excellent liar.”

He responded: “Islam allows you to lie in three cases: In order to reconcile two people… If your wife is ugly, you are allowed to tell her she is the most beautiful woman alive. The third case is politics. You are allowed to lie in politics.”

He then asked if Arafat, referred to here as Abu Ammar, would use those three principles to lie in Al-Daya’s presence.

Al-Daya said: “Abu Ammar? Yes. When there was a bombing in Tel Aviv, for example, he would say… This would happen due to pressure, especially by President Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak would call Arafat and say to him: ‘Denounce it, or they will screw you.’ Arafat would say to Mubarak: ‘Mr. President, we have martyrs. The [Israelis] have destroyed us. They have massacred us.’ But Mubarak would say to him: ‘Denounce it, or they will screw you.’ Then Arafat would condemn the bombing in his own special way, saying: ‘I am against the killing of civilians.’ But that wasn’t true.”

Watch the clip with subtitles from MEMRI below:




Joshua Levitt

Source: http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/04/07/bodyguard-arafat-would-lie-when-denouncing-killing-of-israeli-civilians-video/

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