The story so far. The New York Times publishes an interview by Roger Cohen with former Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad with direct quotes like:
“Our story is a story of failed leadership, from way early on,” Fayyad tells me. “It is incredible that the fate of the Palestinian people has been in the hands of leaders so entirely casual, so guided by spur-of-the-moment decisions, without seriousness. We don’t strategize, we cut deals in a tactical way and we hold ourselves hostage to our own rhetoric.”
Now the Palestinian News Agency publishes this:
RAMALLAH, May 4, 2013 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s office Saturday denied statements slamming the Palestinian leadership which were attributed to Fayyad in an interview with the New York Times.
Fayyad’s office said in a statement, “The statements in the article are just journalist Roger Cohen’s personal impressions, and certainly not the words of Fayyad, who did not make any statements or conduct interviews for the New York Times or any other newspaper or agency since his resignation.”
The New York Times published on May 3 an article titled “Fayyad Steps Down, Not Out” by Cohen, in which Fayyad allegedly described the Palestinian leadership as “failed”.
Cohen quoted Fayyad saying “It is incredible that the fate of the Palestinian people has been in the hands of leaders so entirely casual, so guided by spur-of-the-moment decisions, without seriousness. We don’t strategize, we cut deals in a tactical way and we hold ourselves hostage to our own rhetoric.”
Cohen’s article caused an uproar among Palestinians while Fayyad’s office said that this article must not be published as an interview with Fayyad.
M.H.
Trying to decide which of these two routinely lying sources is lying is like dropping a cat with buttered toast strapped to its back, butter side up, and waiting to see if the cat lands on its feet or the toast lands on the butter.
