viewpoints » S end letters to: letters@thejewishnews.com DETROIT JEWISH NEWS theJEWISHNEWS.com Arthur M. Horwitz Publisher / Executive Editor ahorwitz@renmedia.us F. Kevin Browett Chief Operating Officer kbrowett@renmedia.us 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. * Managing Editor: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@renmedia.us Story Development Editor: Keri Guten Cohen kcohen@thejewishnews.com Arts & Life Editor: Lynne Konstantin lkonstantin@renmedia.us Senior Copy Editor: David Sachs dsachs@renmedia.us Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@renmedia.us Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar rsklar@renmedia.us Contributing Writers: Ruthan Brodsky, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Don Cohen, Shari S. 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