A PA minister with a history of murdering Israelis died of an apparent heart attack, following a confrontation with the IDF. PA President Abbas falsely accuses Israel of barbaric act of murder.
Palestinian Authority (PA) minister Ziad Abu Ein, 55, died on Wednesday while confronting IDF soldiers during a public disturbance.
The incident occurred near the village of Turmus Aya in Samaria, when some 100 foreign anarchists and Palestinians marching together with the PA Committee to Resist Settlements and the Wall, headed by Abu Ein, advanced towards a Jewish community and were stopped along the way by the IDF.
The anti-Israel activists tried making their way through the IDF soldiers, but they were pushed back with crowd-dispersal means, including tear gas, which is standard procedure in such incidents. At some point Abu Ein collapsed and was rushed to a hospital, but he died on the way. Arutz 7 reports that a female IDF medic offered him medical care, but he refused the help.
Palestinians are conflicted on the cause of his death, but all agree that the IDF should be blamed. A number of sources claim that he was beaten by IDF soldiers; others allege he was shot, and some are accusing Israel of killing him with tear gas.
IDF sources say they believe that Abu Ein died of a heart attack. Footage from the scene supports this assertion. Abu Ein is seen slowly laying down on the ground and clutching his chest.
WATCH the collapse during the confrontation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpwrANdhm20
The IDF points out that there was no physical contact between Abu Ein and the soldiers, but they will investigate nonetheless.
Sources close to Abu Ein concede that he had suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes.
Mudar Zahran, a Palestinian writer and academic from Jordan who resides in the UK as a political refugee, tweeted that the “Palestinian minister who died after confrontations with IDF reportedly told the media earlier, ‘I swear I’m gonna embarrass Israel today.'”
PA head Mahmoud Abbas called Abu Ein’s death “a barbaric act which we cannot be silent about or accept,” calling for three days of national mourning. Abbas further threatened that the PA will “take the necessary measures after the results of the investigation into the incident.” Israel’s Channel 2 cited PA sources who said that Abbas has decided to suspend all security coordination with Israel.
The Jerusalem Post quotes Palestinian security sources who state that Arabs from Ramallah have shut down their stores and begun to riot in response to the news.
Legacy of Terror and Israel Hatred
Abu Ein, a Palestinian minister without portfolio, was a terrorist who murdered Israelis and had a long history of anti-Israel activity.
He planted a bomb in Tiberius on May 7, 1979. The bomb exploded, killing two Israeli youths – Boaz Lahav, 16, and David Lankry, 14 – and wounding 32 other people, including two Americans. He was sent to prison for life in 1982 but was released in 1985 in the Jibril prisoner swap, according to which Israel freed 1,150 terrorists in exchange for three IDF soldiers captured in Lebanon.
When serving in a previous position as PA deputy minister of prisoners’ affairs, Abu Ein declared:
“Israel forgets that we are now in the 21st century and that the conditions of our Palestinian prisoners are worse than the Auschwitzes of the Nazis, where Jewish detainees were held.”
‘A Welcomed Death’ for Victims of Terror
Commenting on Abu Ein’s terrorist past, Lt. Col. (ret.) Meir Indor, director of the Almagor Terror Victims Association, responded to the PA official’s death by saying “Almagor isn’t sorry and I welcome his death.”
“He murdered two youths in Tiberias and fled to the United States, was extradited to Israel…and released. Since then he’s been busy with activities against Israel and was advanced to deputy minister of prisoners, and from there to an additional post as minister of the struggle against settlements. His death leaves Israel with one less enemy,” said Indor.
By: United with Israel Staff
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