?jevind L?ng
Indeed, there are some quite unscrupulous journalists, and one must be careful about believing all they say. But that footage is genuine; in fact, what all the different stories circulated to "prove" it is a fake demonstrate is the eagerness in certain quarters to get shot of an embarrassing demonstration of Muslim callousness. First there was the claim that the film in question was recycled and actually showed Palestinians cheering for Iraq during the Kuwait War. When that was proved to be a complete fabrication which had been launched on the Internet by a Brazilian student called Marcio Cavalho, it was claimed that the Israeli Secret Servcie fed the fat woman candy and told her to cheer. And when it was pointed out that the entire street was cheering, the present "explanation" of the incident was introduced.

There is ample testimony about the glee many Muslims felt at the news of 11/9. Of course, one may also point out that many people are quite remarkably indifferent to(or even gleeful about) the sufferings of the Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli army . But then, one can also point out the indifference/glee felt by many at the way Palestinian suicide bombers kill Israeli civilians, and what hopes for a peaceful solution still remain.

I think the only way to create peace in that part of the world is to let the Palestinians get the West Bank and Gaza as a country of their own; that was what the UN resolution in 1947 that created Israel stipulated. Israel should abandon all those illegal settlements on the West Bank instead of building *more* of them. And saying that the Palestinians are so evil that they have forfeited their right not to be occupied by Israel is disingenuous. Freedom is a right, not a reward for good behaviour.