As with many other Palestinian journalists, Said’s primary source of income was working with foreign reporters as a “fixer,” someone who could arrange difficult meetings, translate from Arabic, show you around.
Said had an independent streak and he was no fan of Yasir Arafat, which made him particularly helpful in cutting through the Palestinian Authority’s propagandistic bombast.
With Said, I interviewed senior Hamas leaders in Gaza, officials in Ramallah, retired terrorists in Nablus, political dissidents in Jenin and construction workers in Hebron.
The Palestinian territories, by contrast, are republics of fear — fear of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and of Hamas in Gaza.
During the first major Israel-Hamas war, in 2008 and 2009, Palestinian groups claimed the death toll was mostly civilian, with roughly 1,400 people killed.
Persons:
Said, Yasir Arafat, ”, I’ll, Gaza’s Shifa, Hani al, Agha, Israel, —
Organizations:
Street, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, West Bank, Palestinian Journalists Syndicate
Locations:
Palestinian, Gaza, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Hebron, Israel, Gaza’s, Pyongyang, —