This Thursday, Israel released the bodies of 91 Palestinian terrorists to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a 'goodwill gesture' to President Mahmoud Abbas. However, Abbas' decision to honor these murderers shows that Palestinian glorification of terror remains the key obstacle to peace with Israel.
Included amongst the bodies turned over to the PA are suicide bombers responsible for some of the most gruesome acts of terror over the past decade, killing hundreds of innocent Israelis and many foreign citizens, including American.
They include Ramez Aslim, the suicide bomber who in 2003, blew up the crowded Cafe Hillel in central Jerusalem, murdering 7 people and injuring over 50. Amongst the dead were Dr. David Applebaum, a world renowned doctor and head of the emergency room at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem and his daughter, Nava, aged 20, who was to have been married the next day. They were both dual Israeli and American citizens.
Also released is Raed Abdel-Hamed Misk, the Hamas suicide bomber who carried out an attack on Israel's No.2 bus in Jerusalem in 2003, killing 23 and injuring over 130. The dead included seven children and Goldie Taubenfeld, 42, of New York, and her 3-month old infant son Shmuel. Most of the passengers were religious Jews returning from prayers at the Western Wall.
At the time of the No.2 bus attack, Abbas said: "I announce my strong condemnation of this horrible act." Today, President Abbas and the Palestinian leadership attended a reception ceremony honoring Misk and 90 other cold-blooded killers like him. Abbas even laid wreaths on their coffins, which were draped in Palestinian flags, at his headquarters in Ramallah.
The most disturbing aspect, though, of this transfer is that the official PA news agency, WAFA, described the Palestinians being released as having been "killed in action."
These three sickening words -- 'killed in action' -- singularly convey that as long as Palestinians glorify terrorism, incite hatred and reward the murder of Israelis, peace will remain unattainable.
Abbas never wastes an opportunity to tell the world he is a 'partners for peace,' while the media blindly continues to label the PA as 'moderates.' But what so-called 'partner for peace' refers to the barbaric murder of children as being "killed in action"?
Equally disturbing is the fact that the honoring of this latest batch of terrorists is only one of many recent examples of official PA glorification of terror and violence -- including from Abbas himself.
In October last year, Abbas honored the 1,027 terrorists Israel released in exchange for abducted soldier Gilad Shalit by saying to them: "You are freedom fighters and holy warriors for the sake of God and the homeland." He then rewarded each one with a financial grant.
According to the respected Palestinian Media Watch, which monitors PA incitement and anti-Semitism, only two weeks ago on the anniversary of the founding of the modern State of Israel, an op-ed published in the official PA daily reiterated the PA's denial of Israel's right to exist and its hope and expectation for Israel's destruction.
Meanwhile in March this year, at an event attended by three PA ministers, Abbas' Minister of Social Affairs, Majida Al-Masri, stated a unity deal with Hamas was needed in order to focus Palestinian efforts on the destruction of Israel, calling on Palestinians "to turn to the struggle for the liberation of Palestine -- all of Palestine."
Sadly, one need not look too wide, or far back, for more such examples. In the past 12 months alone, the PA has continued to pay the salaries of some 5,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails (most of whom are terrorists), aired television programs teaching kids how to make model maps turning all of Israel into 'Palestine', while naming public squares and sponsoring kids' summer camps in honor of infamous terrorists.
In 2010, President Obama called on Abbas to "do everything he can to prevent acts of incitement or delegitimization of Israel." Abbas however, has no intentions of stopping this. To the contrary, he has only ramped up his efforts.
In the meantime, the U.S. government continues to pour money to the PA ($3 billion in the last five years alone) with very little to show in return -- except more terror and corruption. Moreover, it is doing so in direct breach of U.S. law, which explicitly requires the Secretary of State to certify that funds will not be used for the purposes of recognizing or otherwise honoring individuals who commit, or have committed acts of terrorism. One would have to ask whether the release of the bodies was the direct result of U.S. pressure on Israel in the first instance.
Today's transfer comes on the same day as 21 teenagers were killed and 120 were wounded when a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Dolphinarium disco, on Tel Aviv beach, in 2001. Incidents like this do not occur in a vacuum. Such acts of pitiless slaughter are the direct result of a pervasive infrastructure indoctrinating hate, inciting violence and instilling a world view justifying such gruesome acts. It is also in clear violation of the Oslo Accords, the Roadmap for Peace and U.S law.
Only when the Palestinian leadership unequivocally renounces terrorism and roots out and condemns all those who preach violence against Israel and hatred of the Jewish people, can there be hope for real peace.
As the PA continues to insist that the world recognize a Palestinian state, one must ask exactly what type of state it wants. One that teaches the virtues of peace, or glorifies terrorism?
Follow Arsen Ostrovsky on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@ArsenOstrovsky
His eyes were moist and his lips taut with suppressed emotion as he arrived, but his Arabic was firm and resonant when, hours later, he told the hushed Israeli Parliament, ''If you want to live with us in this part of the world, in sincerity I tell you that we welcome you among us with all security and safety.''
Praising Mr. Sadat's initiative, Prime Minister Begin said, ''We, the Jews, know how to appreciate such courage.'' Mr. Sadat's flexibility, he said later, stemmed from his solitary confinement as a political prisoner in cell 54 of Cairo Central Prison in 1947 and 1948. ''My contemplation of life and human nature in that secluded place taught me that he who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality and will never, therefore, make any progress,'' he wrote in his memoirs, ''In Search of Identity,'' which appeared in 1978, eight years after he assumed the Presidency."
Is there a Palestinian Sadat ?
This is the never-ending anti-Jewish fantasy that prevents peace in that region.
Accept that Israel is permanent. It won several wars started by local Arabs.
Because Israel won, it really does get to choose the terms of the peace.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/6/4/norman_finkelstein_waning_jewish_american_support
and
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/6/4/norman_finkelstein_on_the_role_of
He predictably always takes the anti Israel anti Jewish party line of the far left
Goodness knows all the bleedin heart liberals who succour them will chip in once they gain their independence. And they'll gain their independence when they accept the state first given to them back in 1937 they rejected It then. They've been rejecting it ever since. They just hate the fact that once they gain their state they MUST accept the Jewish state also and live in peace with it. Thats the bit they find hard. Giving up the belligerence
Except that a state wasn't given to them. More then half of their land was taken away and filled with Europeans who were determined to expand what Britain had given them.
The continue to reject any offer.
It's been 64 years and still no soverenty.
In 1988 Arafat requested the UN to reinstate resolution 181. Arafat made it clear it was a mistake rejecting resolution 181. In 2011 Abbas stated it was a mistake rejecting the resolution.
If the Palestinians would have accepted resolution 181 back in 1947 instead of staring a war with Israeli they would have a lot more than they will ever hope to have now.
"Only when the Palestinian leadership unequivocally renounces terrorism and roots out and condemns all those who preach violence against Israel and hatred of the Jewish people, can there be hope for real peace."
and conversely...
Only when there is hope for real peace, can the Palestinian leadership unequivocally renounce terrorism and root out and condemn all those who preach violence against Israel and hatred of the Jewish people.
As for the Palestinians - as long as they think mass murder and making heroes of these people is reasonable and acceptable they will never be ready to be part of society.
like hitting the bulls-eye…. with every sentence and every point made.
incredible article. thank you.
Glorification of violence against infidel, and Jews in particular is the foundation of Arab ideology.
Considered incorporating below facts into your narrative.
Exhibit A:20s pogroms in which thousandth Jews perished and many Jewish towns wiped out -- NO Israel. No occupation
Exhibit B: U.N. Partition. Unanimous rejection of half of Palestine in favor of violence. No occupation.
Exhibit C:1948-1967-- Arabs control E. Jerusalem, Gaza, Golans, W. Bank and part of Galilee--No Palestinian state founded, Palestinian focused on attacks against Israel not their state.
Exhibit D: Camp David. Arafat rejects the offer of a Palestinian state in favor of a terrorist war against Israel people.
More?
Riyashi detonated a 2 kg bomb inside a building where the thousands of Palestinians who cross each day from Gaza to work in a neighbouring industrial zone are processed.
The Israeli army reported that when she reached the metal detector at the terminal, Riyashi pretended to be crippled and claimed to have metal plates in her leg which would sound the alarm. She asked to have a body search instead. After being taken to an area where a group of soldiers and policemen were checking bags, she was told to wait for a woman to come and search her in a cubicle. It was then that she detonated the explosive device.
Two Israeli soldiers, a policeman and a civilian security worker were killed. Seven other Israelis and four Palestinians were injured.
So rather than posting each of these for both sides, over the past 70 years, perhaps a smarter path would be to support ending this vicious cycle, ASAP.
With Justice instead of bullets.
That's what this article is about. Incitement is the exact opposite of a "smarter path". Of course every comment you have made here justifies this incitement. If you seek the destruction of Israel, you will probably find a lot of friends here, but don't pretend you are interested in peace.
Claiming "justice" while practising acts of inhuman violence? Sure, very convincing argument! LOL!
The Zionist Terrorists, the Irgun and the Stern Gangs, taught todays' "terrorists" very well.
Do some research pally
Next
No more contributions to support the inhumanity, the oppression, the land theft, the abuse, etc., etc., etc.,
A small sample for you:
http://www.middleeastpiece.com/palestinianviolence.html
He saw a ripple in the waters of the river Jordan. Without thinking he jumped in fully clothed. Swam 300m out dived down and was gone for fully 5minutes
Then he came up gasping for breath. And in his hands.......a fish. A really big one. Still alive Boy how we clapped. Boy how we cried. Yasser our hero
To be continued.....