Abbas Calls Israel Settler Murders 'Inhuman'

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday the killing of a Jewish settler couple and three of their children was "inhuman," telling Israel he was determined to help catch those responsible.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had complained that Abbas's administration insufficiently condemned the attack and even encouraged such bloodshed through "incitement" in official Palestinian forums.

"This was inhuman and immoral. We deplore this incident, without a doubt. It is an abomination," Abbas told Israel Radio.

"I can't imagine a four-month-old child murdered," he said, speaking in Arabic. "Children, of all things ... Any person who has a sense of humanity would be pained and driven to tears by such sights."

Friday night's knife rampage in a home in Itamar settlement, which Israel blamed on Palestinians still at large, ruptured the relative quiet of the occupied West Bank and underscored the stalemate between Abbas and Netanyahu over prospects for peace.

Netanyahu said on Sunday that "alarming incitement in Palestinian schools, mosques and media" had prepared the ground for the Itamar attack.

Abbas rejected the allegation, saying his Palestinian Authority was "the only place in the Arab and Muslim world" where the government set weekly guidelines for mosque sermons.

"If it (a sermon) is incitement, it is stopped. If it is not incitement, they can go ahead," he said.

The Palestinians, with international support, have pursued a law-and-order drive in the West Bank, which they want back as part of their future state. They see Israeli settlements as an obstacle and insist building stops before peace talks resume.

Netanyahu has rejected that demand and responded to the Itamar attack by approving hundreds of new settler homes.

Abbas said he had telephoned Netanyahu to offer condolences as well as help from in solving the Itamar attack.

"Had we had advance intelligence, we would have prevented this," he said. "We want to know who did this. We hope to get results and identify the perpetrator and bring him to justice."

(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Ronju01]

02:33 PM on 03/19/2011

I read it somewhere that their domestic help might have done it.

[Fireslayer]

04:46 AM on 03/19/2011

It appears that there is no actual proof that Palestinians committed this atrocious act. There is mounting evidence that the perps came from within the settlement compound itself.

Max Blumenthal wrote:

even if the motives of the killer seem obvious to everyone, journalists covering the incident must be reminded there is no hard evidence that a Palestinian terrorist committed the crime. No viable armed faction has taken credit, and Israeli police are even treating Thai workers as suspects. Itamar is heavily guarded, surrounded by an electrified fence, and monitored 24/7 by a sophisticated system of video surveillance. Yet there is no video of the killer. Like it or not, until the identity of the killer is confirmed, the murder can only be described by journalists as an “alleged terror attack.” Legitimate outrage is no excuse to flout the basics of journalism 101.

[Pema]

10:08 AM on 03/20/2011

thanks for posting this!!

[Gerontion]

04:27 AM on 03/17/2011

You couldn't make this up. Ynet, which hammered sanctimoniously away at the extremely shonky photos of the candy man in Gaza, a story which even the Jerusalem Post was not game enough to run with, is now expressing concern that the Japanese cataclysm will have an adverse effect on supplies of sushi. How do we explain this bizarre lack of empathy? By the way have the subtle sleuths of the IDF managed to extract a confession yet? I understand they have been typically vigorous in their approach. Or was it a settler or the Thai worker, in which case we may perhaps forever remain in the dark.

[Darcha]

03:45 PM on 03/16/2011

The game being played here by the Israel apologists is to self-righteously demand that supporters of Palestinian rights condemn this crime as heinous, despicable, monstrous and, well, there's rather a braying chorus calling for ever stronger adjectives. The point of the game is to then turn around and claim the condemnation is not heartfelt enough, convincing enough or whatever else to enhance that feeling of self-righteousness.

Now, of course, the crime IS horrendous. Still, on October 16 2010, six members of the Ushrenko family were killed in Rosh Lezion in Israel. The victims were identified as Eduard Ushrenko and his wife Ludmila (56), their son Demetri (32), his wife Tatiana (28) and their two children, Revital (3) and Netanel (four months). They were all stabbed to death, then their house was set on fire.

My question is why were we not asked to condemn this murder? Same as now, at the time the police didn't have a suspect (He later turned out to be Jewish.). We have no evidence of the perp(s) now. But somehow this is different. Seems like someone is trying to make propaganda hay out of a brutally slain family. And to my mind, THAT is shameful.

[Sam Bark]

03:05 AM on 03/20/2011

Dracha -- of course, the Mossad did it or the Russian mafia,,,, or maybe Mubarek.....LOL

[Darcha]

03:32 AM on 03/20/2011

What? You've found some evidence?

[foodoo]

09:46 AM on 03/16/2011

Israelis say a Palestinian killed the settlers.
They are using this to justify collective punishment of the Palestinians
by building more settlements.

By this logic, can we collectively punish innocent Jews because
of what Bernie Madoff did?

If the killer turns out to be a Thai (as has been reported) Will Israel
then build settlements in Thailand?

[TheLonelyGod]

11:10 AM on 03/16/2011

Your sympathy for the victims is positively overwhelming.

[Darcha]

11:43 AM on 03/16/2011

Having nothing to say, Zach spews.

[Pema]

10:11 AM on 03/20/2011

which ones? the kids that were killed or the people who had nothing to do with this will be punished? you might want to expand your heart a bit.

[Json]

10:37 AM on 03/18/2011

"By this logic, can we collective­ly punish innocent Jews because
of what Bernie Madoff did?"

I suppose you could. Would you like to?

[patience1]

09:36 AM on 03/16/2011

I believe everybody agree this brutally murdered of the family was despicable attack.To wonder why is that these settlement protected 24/7 with private road and the possibility a Palestinian could easily come to this house make me less human or even accuse me all the nasty name. Some people act like this crime never commited thorought human history. Henious / brutal attack against family happened here in the US and elsewhere . I do not remember that anyone blame on the accused or Criminal'family, church member , friends and neighbor or even the government . Government do not come to his neighborhood to punish all of his neighbor or his family either. Why is that if any Palestinine do any crimimnal attack, with all the passion some people jump the wagon blame on the entire population and accuse person like me who sometime like to wacth CSI or NCIS. Just because I can not just swallow the story wholeheartdly, does not mean I condone the attack. There were thousands of murdered and attack against white farmer or group during the Apartheid in South Africa. Why? It does not make it right to kill any innocent people no matter what, but again people with evil mind for whatever reason will do this kind of attack, some people are 'weak' is not exclusive to any group or race. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere MLK

[adamben]

03:41 PM on 03/16/2011

there is no rationale for slitting the throat of a 4 month old or any child no matter how you want to spin it.

[Sam Bark]

03:06 AM on 03/20/2011

adamben -- I am sure Darcha or Phute or one of their friends will find a justification for it....

[Pema]

10:12 AM on 03/20/2011

yes only problem is we dont know who did it.

[bksg]

09:56 PM on 03/15/2011

Israel tried to stop a movie about Palestinians from showing at the UN general for fear it would sway opinions but the president of the UN refused Israel's request to cancel the showing.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gO7-wT475cv9edd1bgToX4GTIZSw?docId=CNG.db1c0ef23fe99a31e1969f560de0ade2.11

[babybecks]

08:54 PM on 03/15/2011

"To right-wing politicos, cabinet ministers, Knesset members and West Bank rabbis, the five murdered members of the Fogel family are a catalyst for realizing the great dream: the dream of messianic redemption, of the Greater Land of Israel."

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/netanyahu-s-exploitation-of-the-murders-at-itamar-1.349258

[bksg]

09:01 PM on 03/15/2011

Thanks babybecks! Great link!

[Sam Bark]

03:09 AM on 03/16/2011

babybecks -- they look so well together -- Haaretz and HPost go and in hand like two leftist mags hating Israel. Haaretz is still smarting that Likud toppled Labor and E. Barak joined Bibi in setting up a right to center government.

[babybecks]

09:09 AM on 03/16/2011

I have certainly heard some people feel like that. When I see articles I know I will immediately take issue with (WND) I still read them, and see what they are offering.

Did you by any chance read this? If so, what were your thought on it?

[Vlady]

05:05 PM on 03/15/2011

Calm down with your 'righteous indignation'. You are shooting yourself in the foot.

[Sam Bark]

03:11 AM on 03/16/2011

TheRt -- keep on with your anti-Semite bravardo..... it fits this site and most readers here will like it....

[Erewhon7]

03:11 PM on 03/15/2011

A few more rationals comments like that from Palestinain leaders could do more for Palestinain statehood hopes than their entire squalid 60 years of teeth- gnashing and hyper-violence.

[GOPBulletsForJesusAndOil]

03:55 PM on 03/15/2011

With a rabid comment like that, how do you still manage to try to portray yourself as fair, peaceful, or unbiased?

[CigarGod]

05:14 PM on 03/15/2011

Nice screen name.
Have a cigar.

[Sam Bark]

03:13 AM on 03/16/2011

gopBFJ -- look in the mirror again.....

[babybecks]

05:54 PM on 03/15/2011

Do you honestly believe people that didn't support statehood for Palestinians, would suddenly reverse course, if just a few leaders speak out? Really?

The Intl community has being doing that for years, with the result of nil.

[Sam Bark]

03:09 AM on 03/20/2011

babybecks -- actually around 1988 the UN G-Assy did pass a resolution recognizing an independent Palestinians state by 122 votes.................

[misaacm]

03:06 PM on 03/15/2011

I wonder where an unstable Palestinian would get the idea that savagely killing Israeli children is acceptable behavior in Palestinian society? Let me think:

Town square named after Dalal al-Mughrab­i, who led bus hijacking that killed 38; ceremony follows killing of family in West Bank settlement­.

http://www­.jpost.com­/MiddleEas­t/Article.­aspx?ID=21­1988&R=R1

Abbas personally congratula­ted the family of Palestinia­n Samir Kuntar for his release in a prisoner exchange with Israel. Kuntar murdered three Israelis including a father and his 4-year-old daughter whose skull Kuntar had crushed with the butt of a gun.

http://lit­tlegreenfo­otballs.co­m/page/240­981_Reuter­s_Handles_­Public_Rel­atio

Gaza celebrates heinous crime by handing out candy in streets.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4041106,00.html

Must be a rogue operator, I can't for the life of me figure out where a crazy Palestinian would get the idea that it is heroic to kill Israeli children. Abbas' hands look clean to me.

[CrazyEyes]

03:29 PM on 03/15/2011

The hate mongers have come out.

[TheLonelyGod]

02:42 AM on 03/16/2011

The truth has come out. Sorry if you don't like it.

[Sam Bark]

03:14 AM on 03/16/2011

C E -- I guess you looked in the mirror..........LMAO.

[Garioch]

03:35 PM on 03/15/2011

So perhaps it would be instructive if you were to review the various statements of Judges and politicians about the perpetrators of the murders at the Islamic College in Hebron and explain in the light of them the vast difference between the Palestinian and Israeli side on that basis?

[CigarGod]

02:42 PM on 03/15/2011

Unfortunately, the "incident" is VERY human....as are the actions of the other side.

[GOPBulletsForJesusAndOil]

02:31 PM on 03/15/2011

"Friday night's knife rampage in a home in Itamar settlement, which Israel blamed on Palestinians still at large"

The blame game with no proof of who did it...or why.

[LINY01]

03:05 PM on 03/15/2011

The suspect is Asian:

http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/suspect-in-settlement-murders-not-a-palestinian-army-silent-on-this/

[Erewhon7]

03:11 PM on 03/15/2011

"The blame game with no proof of who did it...or why. "

You wanna bet

[GOPBulletsForJesusAndOil]

03:48 PM on 03/15/2011

What proof do you have that it was a Palestinian? Sources are know saying it was a disgruntled Asian worker.

[Vlady]

02:23 PM on 03/15/2011

>>...We deplore this incident, without a doubt. It is an abomination," Abbas told Israel Radio.

Palestinian leaders always say right thing on Israel Radio or in western media, leaving their own people being exposed by local voices of 'love and friendship' towards Israel and Jews

[babybecks]

03:40 PM on 03/15/2011

What would you have preferred his statement have been?

[Vlady]

04:55 PM on 03/15/2011

Same statement must be delivered via Arab media, not Israel's.

[Tony Andrews]

03:50 PM on 03/15/2011

It was Israeli Army Radio.

Israeli Army Radio doesn't cover Israel and the West Bank and Gaza?

[Vlady]

04:56 PM on 03/15/2011

Arab population does not listen Israeli Army Radio

[Tony Andrews]

05:43 PM on 03/15/2011

That is an assertion which I doubt you have any evidence for.

I'll make another one.

When Abbas is being interviewed on Israeli Army Radio, or matters of direct concern to the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, the "peace process" etc., are being discussed, a lot of Palestinians listen to Israeli Army Radio.

And I have no basis for my assertion either, but consider it quite likely bearing in mind the degree to which Palestinian lives are influenced by Israeli military activity.

What is absolutely certain is that, in the case of every occupation I have ever read about, the occupied paid great attention to the broadcasts of those they were occupied by.

[realitycitizen]

02:20 PM on 03/15/2011

Who gains more from dead Israeli settlers? Palestinians or the government of Israel?

The answer should be clear to any serious student of politics and world affairs.

[CigarGod]

02:43 PM on 03/15/2011

Depends on the quantity.

[Erewhon7]

03:13 PM on 03/15/2011

In the Arab Middle East curses on- and violence against Jews always... ALWAYS... result in popularity surge.