The Palestinian Authority (PA) is perceived by many in the international community as a "moderate" potential peace partner, amid talk of a "two state solution" whereby a PA-run "Palestine" in the Jewish Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria would neighbor Israel - but what does the PA think of this?
A not-so-subtle hint of the PA's often stated and historically patently false claims of ownership over all of Israel was seen recently, in a popular Palestinian Arab song sung at a festival in the city of Bethlehem in Judea by a little girl, which was broadcast earlier this month on official PA TV and translated by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).
In the song, Israel is literally erased from the map, with major Israeli cities over the "Green Line" - namely the 1949 Armistice line - being claimed as part of "Palestine."
The song calls on a bird to send greetings to different places in "my beautiful country Palestine." It references Tzfat (Safed), Tiberias, Nazareth, Ramle and Beit Shean, as well as the coastal cities of Akko, Haifa, and Yafo, as being in "Palestine."
Many have noted that the PA's purported aims of a peace treaty in which it would receive eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria are belied by its claims on the rest of Israel - that and the historical precedent of Arab nations waging war on Israel well before the region was liberated by the Jewish state in 1967, indicating the desire to conquer all of Israel.
Making the singing of the song "Oh flying bird" more meaningful is that it was performed at a festival organized by the official PA TV's children's program "The Best Home," in cooperation with the PA Ministry of Tourism and local NGOs.
At least 12 other versions of this song have appeared on official PA TV over the years, reports PMW.