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essay
| Editorial
Palestinians Dignify Terrorist Bus Bombing
T
COURTESY TIMES OF ISRAEL
he military and student
God but Allah, and the shahid
wings of Palestinian
[martyr] is Allah’s beloved.” In
Authority President
its worldview, the Palestinian
Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah move-
Authority believes becoming
ment wasted no time heaping
a shahid is the highest honor
praise on the Hamas operative
within Islam, PMW under-
who set off a bomb and injured 19
scores.
fellow bus riders in Israel. Hamas,
The day after the April 18
Robert Sklar
of course, is an Islamic terrorist
bus bombing, which ulti-
organization ruling the Gaza Strip. Contributing Editor mately killed the attacker,
The United Nations expects
Fatah praised the explosion.
Israel to negotiate and solve the
Israel’s Shin Bet security ser-
riddle of Israeli-Palestinian peace with
vice arrested six Hamas co-conspirators.
Abbas, the face of the Palestinian people
Praise came despite Fatah reeling from
and the so-called moderate leader who
international criticism for six months of
presides over Palestinian-controlled areas Palestinian stabbings, shootings and car-
of the West Bank.
ramming attacks that have left at least 34
Abbas may be moder- Israelis dead and nearly 400 injured.
ate politically in contrast
On the heels of the bus explosion,
with Khaled Mashal,
Fatah’s central office posted an anti-
the political leader of
Zionist announcement on its Facebook
Hamas, whose mili-
page. The post was in the form of an
tary wing, Al Qassam
announcement by Fatah’s military wing,
Brigades, continues to
Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Drawing on its
defiantly dig tunnels
terrorist core, the Brigades “blessed” the
Mahmoud
designed to kidnap and
“self-sacrificing operation” and lauded
Abbas
murder Israelis.
the resulting “victory” by virtue of injur-
But make no mistake: ing dozens of Zionists, PMW reports.
Even if, beyond the public glare, Abbas
Notably, the student video played up
were amenable to negotiating, his con-
becoming a martyr “for the cause.” The
stant glorification of terror is alienating
cause: stepping up to resist, by what-
droves of young Palestinians from the
ever means, including “armed struggle”
better lives peace could bring.
against the Israeli “occupation.”
The Palestinians consider Israel’s mili-
EXALTING MURDER
tary and settlement presence in the West
Two days after suicide bomber Abed
Bank and sea and land blockade of Gaza
Al Hamid Abu Srour, a 19-year-old
as “crimes” of that “occupation.” In real-
Palestinian from a refugee camp near
ity, all those acts are subject to negotia-
Bethlehem in the
tion.
West Bank, exploded
BIZARRE IMAGINATION
aboard the No. 12
Beyond this travesty of thinking in the
bus in Jerusalem,
wake of the bus bombing, the Palestinian
Fatah’s Shabiba stu-
Authority is seeking United Nations
dent movement at
approval, based on Fatah’s interpretation
Birzeit University
of international law and U.N. Resolution
had the effrontery to
3236 of 1974, to murder Israeli civilians.
post a Facebook video
Abed Al Hamid
That’s in keeping with the Palestinian
promoting knife and
Abu Srour
ideology such barbaric acts are positive
car-ramming attacks
against Israel soldiers at and heroic — and thus worthy of emulat-
ing.
a checkpoint.
Strangely enough, the P.A. is seeking
The video, pitching unity through
such approval by asking the international
unadulterated murder, exalts “martyr-
community to award the Nobel Peace
dom” via suicide attacks as an ideal for
young Palestinians to strive for, according Prize to imprisoned Palestinian terrorist
Marwan Barghouti. He was convicted in
to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), an
an Israeli court and is serving five life
Israel-based watchdog organization.
sentences for murder of Israeli civilians
In the video, a song plays in the back-
during the second intifada from 2000 to
ground with the words, “There is no
6 May 5 • 2016
2005. The 56-year-old is venerated as a
champion of the Palestinian cause and,
imprisoned or not, a potential candidate
to replace Abbas, 81, as P.A. president.
On April 25, in contrast, an Israeli
court indicted seven members of an
alleged Jewish terror cell charged with
assaulting Palestinians and damaging
property near Ramallah, the P.A. capital.
An Israeli soldier and two minors were
among the suspects rooted out in a joint
operation by Shin Bet and Israel Police.
Seeking a Nobel prize for Barghouti
would be fantastical if a responsible
international panel were to pass judg-
ment. But the largely anti-Israel U.N.
hardly falls within that framework. It’s
actually possible the outlandish request
could attract a U.N. audience. Such a
hearing would represent “a call to rec-
ognize the legitimacy of the prisoners’
struggle,” as the head of the Palestinian
commission of prisoner affairs put it.
PMW exposed the P.A.’s request to
“recognize the legitimacy of the prison-
ers’ struggles” as a euphemism for “rec-
ognizing the legitimacy” of Palestinians
killing Israelis.
President Abbas’
glorification of
terror is alienating
droves of young
Palestinians from
the better lives
peace could bring.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has issued a call to rekindle
dormant peace talks with the seemingly
enticing offer of no preconditions. But
even if President Abbas were to bite, what
Jew could trust, given Fatah’s murderous
ideology, that he would negotiate in good
faith?
Further complicating matters is the
traction Gaza-based Hamas already has
gained in the West Bank.
*
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