PA TV has repeatedly broadcast a music video praising seven Palestinian terrorists, most of whom have Israeli and in some cases, foreign, blood on their hands. The music video was originally aired in May 2012, yet was rebroadcast eleven more times in 2012 and twice so far in 2013. The music video starts off by Mahmoud Abbas stating, “We will not rest until all prisoners are freed and the prisons are emptied.” It then proceeds to state, “We are pledged to the promise and the revolution. Our hearts are full of faith.” Afterwards, a list of Palestinian terrorists serving time in Israeli prisons pop up on the screen.
The “brave prisoners” mentioned in the song include Marwan Barghouti, who is currently serving five life prison sentences plus an additional 40 years for planning terrorist attacks against Israelis. According to Marwan Barghouti’s own confession statement, he was responsible for transferring money, some of which arrived from Yasser Arafat’s office, to the leaders of terrorist organizations and received reports on terrorist attacks. In some instances, he directly ordered terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians.
A Tel Aviv court has found him guilty of directly ordering the murder of a Greek monk in Maale Adumim, a terror attack against the Givat Ze’ev gas station, the murder of three Israelis at a seafood market restaurant, and for ordering the planting of a car bomb in Jerusalem. In total, he was directly responsible for the death of five people. David Saranga, a spokesman for Silvan Shalom, stated around the time of his trial, “The five people who were killed in these attacks that he ordered will not return to life. The widows and the orphans will not get their loved ones back. But at least justice was done.” Yet, the Palestinian Authority wants to prevent justice from continuing to be served.
Ahmad Sa’adat, another one of the terrorists honored, was not much better. He is serving 30 years in prison for heading the terrorist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and is believed to have ordered the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavim Ze’evi in 2001. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine had taken responsibility for the murder. The Israeli judge who convicted him ruled, “There is no doubt that the accused controls the PFLP. When we consider the appropriate sentence for someone who headed a murderous terrorist organization, we take into account not only his position, but his actions as well. The offenses the accused has been convicted of indicate that he initiated and participated in military activity with the aim of killing innocent people.”
Ibrahim Hamed, however, had the most blood on his hand out of the bunch. He is serving 54 life sentences for his planning of the Hebrew University suicide bombing (9 killed), Café Moment suicide bombing (12 killed), Café Hillel suicide bombing (11 killed), and the Zion Square suicide bombing (11 killed). Americans and other internationals were among his victims. In the Hebrew University suicide bombing, Benjamin Blutstein, 25, of Harrisburg, PA; Marla Bennett, 24, from San Diego, CA; Dina Carter, 37, a dual Israeli-U.S. citizen; Janis Ruth Coulter, 36, a native of Boston, Massachusetts; and David Gritz, 24, of Massachusetts, who held dual U.S.-French citizenship, were all killed alongside 4 other Israeli citizens.
In the Café Hillel suicide bombing, an emergency room chief who held duel Israeli-American citizenship, Dr. David Appelbaum, was murdered alongside his daughter Naava right before her wedding was supposed to take place. Dr. David Appelbaum had wanted to give his daughter a book that would prepare her for marriage life, full of sayings from family members and himself, as well as biblical passages. His daughter never received it. Just days before, Dr. Appelbaum had given a talk at New York University’s terrorism symposium marking the second anniversary of the September 11 attacks. He was a world renowned doctor. Rabbi Shubert Spero of the Young Israel of Cleveland congregation eulogizing the slain physician and his daughter by stating, “Can there be a greater tragedy?”
Abbas Al Sayyid, who was also honored by PA TV, is presently serving 35 life sentences for planning the Passover massacre in Netanya, in which 30 people were slaughtered and 140 more were wounded. It was the most deadly Palestinian suicide bombing of the Second Intifada period. The horrific images of matzoth and Seder plates covered in the blood of Israeli men, women, and children are what prompted former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to launch Operation Defensive Shield in Judea and Samaria. The other honored terrorists include Nasser Awais, who is serving 14 life sentences for murdering 13 people; Yasser Abu Bakr, who murdered two in Netanya; and Fued Al Shubaki, who is serving 20 years for smuggling weapons illegally into Palestinian areas as part of the Karine A Affair.
No leader any where who supports peace and coexistence would support releasing any of these men from Israeli prisons. Yet, Abbas not only wants all of these people released from behind bars, yet has his official TV station honor these people. Since he is not a democratic leader, he can’t use the freedom of the press argument, for Abbas has no qualms about imprisoning journalists who are critical of him and thus silencing Palestinians who hold opposing viewpoints. As the Talmud states, “Whoever destroys a soul, it is as if he destroyed the entire world.” To honor and praise those who slaughter innocent people is no less of a sin.
To view the video, see below!
By Rachel Avraham