Have you ever heard a diplomat react to something which was so absurd, so detached from reality that their only reaction was a simple: "I am not going to dignify or glorify that comment." Well this is exactly how the INA felt when we heard the Palestinian report that Israel was trying to poison Palestinian children with tainted candy. That Israeli helicopters had dropped poisoned candy in Gaza and in the West Bank and that the PA was now warning their children to avoid this dangerous and evil Israeli plot.

The IDF laughed in response to the report saying: "The IDF condemns the ridiculous Palestinian claim according to which the IDF is scattering poisoned chocolate from the air to Palestinian children. It is redundant to state that this claim is groundless, and is a further level in the Palestinian incitement campaign, and a further example of its lack of credibility."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry had simply responded that "the only thing being poisoned was the atmosphere to create peaceful negotiations - that this was not the first time that the PA had stooped so low to "create stories" when nothing else existed."

Furthermore - the Palestinians have called Israel's cease-fire a "trick". Foreign Minister Shimon Peres stated: "I read that some of our Palestinian neighbors said that this is just a trick, a public relations trick, on the side of Israel. I invite the Palestinians to follow the same trick. If it is good for our public relations, why shouldn't it be good also for the Palestinians' public relations." Peres continued: "Perhaps if we both use the same trick we may find a way to get to the negotiating tables".

Since Israel has declared a cease-fire, the Palestinians have continued shooting and have killed one Israeli civilian in a car terror ambush. Prime Minister Sharon states that he will continue with the cease-fire, for no one expects that the cease-fire would be implemented over night.

Israel is now again illustrating to the world who is firing at who. Who is firing first. Because of distorted and unbalanced media reports, Israel feels that it must again prove that she is "turning the other cheek". Former Prime Minister Golda Meir had done the same thing right before the 1973 Yom Kippur War. With Israeli intelligence clearly reporting that the Syrian and Egyptian armies were about to attack, she instead listened to President Nixon and Henry Kissenger who advised how important is was for the world to witness that Israel was attacked and was not the aggressor. How many lives did Israel lose as a result of not calling up it's reserves. Almost 30 years later - Israel is still on the defensive.

We invite the general media to investigate Palestinian claims of "poisoned candy" and the use of a cease-fire as being a "trick". The INA doubts very much that the wire services or other media will follow these stories as they know there is no story. But what we ask is that they write about there being no story. We ask all reporters, editors and corespondents to give just one minute to investigating and then writing about Palestinian credibility.

The Palestinian leadership continues to incite their people and educate their children with hate towards Israel and the Jewish people. While Israel - same as in 1973 - waits for world public opinion to see fact and change.

It's not gonna happen!