UNDP sponsors tournament
named after terrorist Abu Jihad
Official PA news agency
lauds Abu Jihad as killer of 125
Terrorist Abu Jihad also honored
by PA and Fatah officials and other institutions
at events and sports tournaments
Governor of Jenin speaking on behalf Mahmoud Abbas: Abu Jihad is "one of the giants
and heroes who wrote epics of bravery"
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Throughout the month of April, PA leaders, Fatah officials and Palestinian institutions actively commemorated and glorified one of their heroes: terrorist Abu Jihad. One of the striking components of the Abu Jihad events was the presentation of terror attacks that he planned and directed, which killed 125 Israelis, as positive achievements.
 One of the attacks he planned was the Coastal Road Massacre in 1978 led by terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, in which terrorists hijacked a bus and killed 37 civilians, among them 12 children. PA TV glorified the attack on March 11, 2013, the anniversary of the hijacking, by showing a picture of the burnt out bus while glorifying the attack as "the most courageous Palestinian self-sacrifice operation."
Strikingly, UNDP, the United Nations Development Programme, joined the PA and Fatah in their glorification of this terrorist by sponsoring the annual Prince of Martyrs Abu Jihad Football Tournament, the official PA daily reported:
"The draw for the 19th Prince of Martyrs Khalil Al-Wazir Abu Jihad Football Tournament for youth born in 1996, took place in the Al-Ansar Club offices in Jerusalem. The tournament is organized by the Ansar Al-Quds Club, sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] and funded by the Islamic Development Bank [IsDB]." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 23, 2013] 
| [Ma'an, April 27, 2013] |
After the tournament took place, the private Palestinian news agency Ma'an repeated that the UNDP sponsored it, publishing a picture from the tournament showing the UNDP's logo.
This is not the first time that Palestinian Media Watch has reported that UN organizations have been associated with Palestinian glorification of terrorists or promotion of hatred.
Speaking on behalf of PA Chairman Abbas at a rally marking the 25th anniversary of Abu Jihad's "Martyrdom death," District Governor of Jenin Talal Dweikat called Abu Jihad "one of the giants and heroes who wrote epics of bravery": "Today, we mark Abu Jihad's anniversary, one of the giants and heroes who wrote epics of bravery and on the anniversary of his Martyrdom death we see the thousands of fighters and prisoners who sacrificed for their homeland." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 18, 2013]
At the same event, member of the PLO Executive Committee, Saleh Rafat, "directed a salutation of honor and pride to the soul of Martyr Abu Jihad," the official PA daily reported.
The official PA news agency WAFA celebrated his terror by listing all the terror attacks he planned and directed, specifying the number of murdered:
"Abu Jihad was killed by the Israeli Mossad in Tunisia on April 16, 1988... and was crowned the Prince of the Martyrs of Palestine... Among the military operations planned by Abu Jihad: the explosion at the Zohar reservoir in 1955; the operation to blow up the Israeli National Water Carrier in 1965; the operation at the Savoy Hotel in Tel Aviv, which killed 10 Israelis, in 1975; the blowing up of a truck bomb in Jerusalem in 1975; the killing of Albert Levi, the senior sapper, and his assistant, in Nablus in 1976; the Dalal Mughrabi operation (i.e., bus hijacking), in which more than 37 Israelis were killed, in 1978; the shelling of the Eilat Port in 1979; the Katyusha fire on the northern settlements [in Israel] in 1981..." [WAFA and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 16, 2013]
The total killed in attacks planned by Abu Jihad according to WAFA's count is 125 (see full article below).
PA TV News also paid tribute to Abu Jihad and the terror attacks he orchestrated, referring to them as "prominent operations" and calling terrorist Abu Jihad "the most noble of men":
"The Eilabun tunnel operation in 1965 (i.e., bombing of Israel's National Water Carrier), the shelling of the northern settlements (i.e., northern Israel) in 1981, in between the Savoy Hotel operation in Tel Aviv in 1975 (i.e., eight terrorists took over the Savoy Hotel and when Israeli forces attacked they killed 11), the blowing up of a truck bomb that same year (i.e., attack in Jerusalem in 1975 with a truck carrying a refrigerator filled with explosives, 15 killed), and the birth of Dalal's Republic in 1978 on the Haifa-Tel Aviv road (i.e., most lethal terror attack in Israel's history, when Dalal Mughrabi and other terrorists sailed from Lebanon to an Israeli shore, hijacked a bus and killed 37 civilians, 12 of them children) - these are the prominent operations planned and supervised by Abu Jihad, the most noble of men." [PA TV (Fatah), April 16, 2013] Click to view
At an event sponsored by PA Chairman Abbas, the spokesman of the PA Security Forces chose to describe Dalal Mughrabi and Abu Jihad's terror attacks as "honorable" events.
Click to view
"The great and humble leader, who made the occupying Zionists lose sleep over several brave operations" is how a writer praised Abu Jihad in his op-ed in the official PA daily.
| Text on poster of Abu Jihad: "Khalil Al-Wazir Foundation The First Bullet, the First Stone Conference on occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Martyrdom death of the Prince of Martyrs Khalil Al-Wazir (Abu Jihad)" [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 19, 2013] |
Among the events praising and lauding Abu Jihad, there was "a study day on the life of fighter 'Abu Jihad' on occasion of the 25th anniversary of his Martyrdom death." The event "was attended by Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul; Chairman of the Prisoners' Club, Qadura Fares; ...Deputy Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Abdel Rahim Malouh; and [wife of Abu Jihad] Intisar Al-Wazir 'Um Jihad'." The official PA daily reported that Fatah Central Committee member Al-Aloul "noted that Abu Jihad was gifted with leadership traits and that he has a long history of military activity." He also said that "benefit should be derived from his experience."
A whole class was named after terrorist Abu Jihad at Al-Najah University. At "an appreciation ceremony for the outstanding students from the Martyr Abu Jihad Class," Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki "expressed hope that the class would fulfill the dream of Martyr commander Khalil Al-Wazir [Abu Jihad]." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 9, 2013]
In addition to the UNDP-sponsored football tournament, the official PA daily reported on a martial arts festival honoring Abu Jihad that was held in in the presence of senior PA officials, including Mahmoud Abbas' advisor on Jerusalem affairs, Ahmed Al-Ruweidi, the Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, Adnan Al-Hussein, and Mufti Sheik Muhammad Hussein.
The PA Ministry of Culture also participated in the glorification of terrorist Abu Jihad. The Tulkarem district marked "the 25th anniversary of the Martyrdom death of Khalil Al-Wazir, Abu Jihad, with a celebration of culture and song." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 18, 2013]
The official PA daily referred to "the anniversary of leader Abu Jihad Al-Wazir's Martyrdom death" as one of many "national" and "prominent" events. [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 22, 2013]
PMW documented similar PA and Fatah glorification of Abu Jihad in 2012.
PMW documents glorification of terrorists in the PA.
The following are longer translations of the articles reporting on the glorification of terrorist Abu Jihad:
UNDP sponsors tournament named after terrorist Abu Jihad:
Headline: "Draw for the 19th Prince of Martyrs Abu Jihad Football tournament for youth."
"On Sunday, [April 21, 2013] the [group] draw for the 19th Prince of Martyrs Khalil Al-Wazir Abu Jihad Football tournament for youth born in 1996, took place in the Al-Ansar Club offices in Jerusalem. The tournament is organized by the Ansar Al-Quds Club, sponsored by the United Nations Development Program [UNDP] and funded by the Islamic Development Bank [IsDB]."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 23, 2013]
District Governor of Jenin glorifying terrorist Abu Jihad on behalf of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas:
Headline: "District Governor of Jenin marks Prisoners' Day and the anniversary of Abu Jihad's Martyrdom death"
"On Wednesday, [April 17, 2013] the Jenin district marked Palestinian Prisoners' Day and the 25th anniversary of Abu Jihad's Martyrdom death by organizing a mass rally in the Martyr Yasser Arafat Square in the city center. District Governor of Jenin, Talal Dweikat, said in his speech on behalf of [PA Chairman] Mahmoud Abbas: 'We are emphasizing the President's words, he said that we are committed to the way of the Martyrs and prisoners until victory and until we gain our Palestinian country, whose capital is Jerusalem. Today, we mark Abu Jihad's anniversary, one of the giants and heroes who wrote epics of bravery and on the anniversary of his Martyrdom death we see the thousands of fighters and prisoners who sacrificed for their homeland...' Member of the PLO Executive Committee, Saleh Rafat, directed a salutation of honor and pride to the soul of Martyr Abu Jihad who played an important and historical role in leading the modern Palestinian revolution. In addition he saluted all the Martyrs, specifically the Martyrs of the prisoners' movement."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 18, 2013]
PA TV News reports on terrorist Abu Jihad:
PA TV reporter: "The stone that represented a new phenomenon regarding the type of struggle, first burst out in the occupied land in 1987. This is all linked to Khalil Al-Wazir's (Abu Jihad's) name, from the city of Ramle, Prince of Martyrs (Shahids), the [first] Intifada's engineer - Arafat's companion from the very beginning, through Eilabun (i.e., the bombing of the Israeli National Water Carrier) and [the battle of] Karameh and the siege of Beirut and before that in Jordan... Abu Jihad says and also emphasizes, that no voice is louder than it [the Intifada's voice] and that the occupation's fate will be determined only on the land of Palestine. He also asks: 'Why don't we negotiate while fighting?' Before asking this, the Eilabun tunnel operation took place in 1965 (i.e., bombing of Israel's National Water Carrier), the shelling of the northern settlements (i.e., northern Israel) in 1981, in between the Savoy Hotel operation in Tel Aviv in 1975 (i.e., eight terrorists took over the Savoy Hotel and when Israeli forces attacked they killed 11), the blowing up of a truck bomb that same year (i.e., attack in Jerusalem in 1975 with a truck carrying a refrigerator filled with explosives, 15 killed), and the birth of Dalal's Republic in 1978 on the Haifa-Tel Aviv road (i.e., most lethal terror attack in Israel's history, when Dalal Mughrabi and other terrorists sailed from Lebanon to an Israeli shore, hijacked a bus and killed 37 civilians, 12 of them children) - these are the prominent operations planned and supervised by Abu Jihad, the most noble of men."
[PA TV (Fatah), April 16, 2013]
Eilabun tunnel attack: Attempted bombing of Israel's National Water Carrier in 1965,
Attack on the northern settlements: In 1981, shelling of Katyusha rockets on Northern Israel.
Savoy terror attack: In March 1975, eight terrorists traveled by boat from Lebanon to a Tel Aviv beach. They took over the Savoy Hotel and took guests as hostages. The next morning, Israeli forces attacked and killed seven of the terrorists. Eight hostages and three soldiers were killed by the terrorists during the attack.
Attack with truck bomb: Attack in Jerusalem in 1975 with a truck carrying a refrigerator filled with explosives. 15 people were killed and 77 wounded.
Coastal Road attack: Dalal Mughrabi led the most lethal terror attack in Israel's history, when she and other terrorists sailed from Lebanon to an Israeli shore, hijacked a bus and killed 37 civilians, 12 of them children.
Ceremony held by the PA Political and National Guidance Commissionership marking the anniversary of the battle of Karameh. A poster announced that the event is sponsored by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Among the attendees: Abbas' representative Ismail Jabr and spokesman of the PA Security Forces Adnan Al-Damiri.
Spokesman of the PA Security Forces Adnan Al-Damiri: "All the honorable [events] take place in March, starting with the Al-Karameh Day through Mother's Day, Dalal Mughrabi's day and ending with Abu Jihad Khalil Al-Wazir. All these, brave brothers in the Palestinian Security Forces, this is their day, which we celebrate today." [PA TV (Fatah), March 25, 2013]
In an op-ed, Khaled Mismar writes about the time he spent working as a radio announcer on the Sawt Al-Asifa (Voice of Al-Asifa) station in Lebanon:
Headline: "The first bullet and the first stone (i.e., reference to terrorist Abu Jihad) still remembered!"
"One evening, I was the temporary [radio] announcer in the southern station and the broadcast technician at the time was brother Abu Zuhair Hisham Al-Sa'adi. We visited a few fighters that night, including a young Fedayeen (self-sacrificing fighter) woman, who wore an army uniform and wanted to see the announcer broadcasting live but the broadcast's material was recorded. Abu Zuhair came up with a plan and asked me to go into the studio and turn on the microphone and speak so that only those in the control room would be able to hear me. This cheered up the young woman who heard the announcer broadcasting live. Afterwards I found out that she was the hero Martyr (Shahid) Dalal Mughrabi. This is one example, among many others that there is no room to mention, of the life events of the great and humble leader, who made the occupying Zionists lose sleep on several brave operations... Oh Abu Jihad, you will remain in our memories and in future generations' memories, until we achieve the exalted goal for which the [Palestinian] national liberation organization, Fatah, set out with its Al-Asifa forces (PLO unit). This is revolution until victory."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 16, 2013]
The Karameh battle or Al-Karameh - In 1968, Israeli army forces attacked the Al-Karameh village in Jordan, where groups of Fatah terrorists had embedded themselves. Arafat, who managed to escape, used the heavy losses sustained by the Israeli army for propaganda purposes and declared the battle a great victory which erased the disgrace of the 1967 Six Day War defeat.
Headline: "A study day on the life of fighter 'Abu Jihad' on occasion of the 25th anniversary of his Martyrdom death."
"Yesterday, [April 19, 2013] an event organized by the 'Khalil Al-Wazir' Foundation, examined the life of fighter 'Abu Jihad' on occasion of the 25th anniversary of his Martyrdom death, titled 'The first bullet, the first stone.' The event, held in the city of El-Bireh, was attended by member of Fatah Central Committee, Mahmoud Al-Aloul, Chairman of the Prisoners' Club, Qadura Fares, who spoke on behalf of prisoner Marwan Barghouti, Deputy Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Abdel Rahim Malouh and [wife of Abu Jihad] Intisar Al-Wazir 'Um Jihad'. Al-Aloul spoke about 'Abu Jihad: The military activity and the armed struggle' and noted that Abu Jihad was gifted with leadership traits and that he has a long history of military activity. He also said that benefit should be derived from his experience. In addition, he described what Abu Jihad had done as part of his military activity, which was aimed against soldiers and not civilians."
Text on poster of Abu Jihad:
"Khalil Al-Wazir Foundation
'The First Bullet, the First Stone' Conference on occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Martyrdom death of the Prince of the Martyrs Khalil Al-Wazir (Abu Jihad)"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 19, 2013]
Headline: "Zaki participates in an appreciation ceremony for outstanding students in the Al-Najah University and calls for unity."
"Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki said that the Al-Najah National University is a beacon of light, not only in Nablus but in all of Palestine... During his speech in an appreciation ceremony for the outstanding students from the Martyr Abu Jihad Class, Zaki expressed hope that the class would fulfill the dream of Martyr commander Khalil Al-Wazir [Abu Jihad]."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 9, 2013]
"President of the Palestinian Academy for Martial Arts, Jihad Uweida, announced that the first Prince of Martyrs (Shahids) Festival, named for Abu Jihad, will end this coming Saturday at the Hilal Al-Quds Club's gymnasium, attended by Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, Adnan Al-Husseini...
The festival opened this past April 16, in Jerusalem ...attended by Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, Adnan Al-Husseini, Jerusalem's Mufti, Sheik Muhammad Hussein and Advisor on Jerusalem affairs to the Palestinian President's Office, Ahmed Al-Ruweidi."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May, 2, 2013]
"Yesterday, [April 17, 2013] the Ministry of Culture in the Tulkarem district, in cooperation with the Director of Education, marked Prisoners' Day and the 25th anniversary of the Martyrdom death of Khalil Al-Wazir, Abu Jihad, with a celebration of culture and song at the Omar Bin Abd Al-Aziz Elementary School for Girls.
Bureau Chief of the Ministry of Culture Abd al-Fattah al-Kam... mentioned the 25th anniversary of Martyr (Shahid) Abu Jihad, because during his path of struggle, which was overflowing with complete commitment to Palestine and to fighting for it, he always adhered to national unity and to independent, national decision-making, and strived to achieve the national goals of the Palestinian people."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 18, 2013]
"It is not surprising that it is raining and snowing in April, especially since our fathers told us in their proverbs that the rains of April revive the man and renew the hope after a long wait and forgetfulness. It is known that in April, from a Palestinian point a view, there are many national events, the most prominent are perhaps Children's Day, Prisoners' Day, the anniversary of leader Abu Jihad Al-Wazir's Martyrdom death, as well as the anniversary of the Martyrdom death of the two Kamals (i.e. Kamal Adwan and Kamal Nasser) [and the anniversary of the deaths of] Martyr Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rantisi and a long list of Martyrs."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 22, 2013]
Kamal Adwan was responsible for Fatah's terrorist operations and a senior member of Black September. He and Kamal Nasser were killed by Israeli forces in April 1973.
Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rantisi was a co-founder of the Hamas terror movement.
The following is the full text of the article by WAFA, the official PA news agency, glorifying Abu Jihad for killing Israeli civilians, that was also published in the official PA daily:
"Abu Jihad was killed by the Israeli Mossad in Tunisia on April 16, 1988... and was crowned the Prince of the Martyrs of Palestine... Among the military operations planned by Abu Jihad: the explosion at the Zohar reservoir in 1955; the operation to blow up the Israeli National Water Carrier in 1965; the operation at the Savoy Hotel in Tel Aviv, which killed 10 Israelis, in 1975; the blowing up of a truck bomb in Jerusalem in 1975; the killing of Albert Levi, the senior sapper, and his assistant, in Nablus in 1976; the Dalal Mughrabi operation, in which more than 37 Israelis were killed, in 1978; the shelling of the Eilat Port in 1979; the Katyusha fire on the northern settlements [in Israel] in 1981 and the capture of 8 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, and their exchange for 5,000 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners and 100 of the detainees from occupied territory in 1982. He planned the infiltration and bombing of the headquarters of the Israeli military governor in Tyre, leading to the deaths of 76 officers and soldiers, including 12 senior officers, in 1982; he led the war of attrition during the years 1982-1984 in southern Lebanon, and planned the Dimona Reactor operation in 1988, which was the principle reason for his assassination."
[WAFA, Official PA news agency, and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 16, 2013] |
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