Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinians: Jihadi-Style Child Abuse
Children in this world do not dream about becoming doctors, pilots or engineers; an entire generation of Palestinians, particularly those in the Gaza Strip, has been raised on the glorification of suicide bombers and anyone who kills a Jew.PMW: Erekat on imprisoned terrorists: "We bow our heads out of admiration and honor"
Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other radical groups see children as future "soldiers" in the war to eliminate Israel. They raise children to regard to suicide bombers and jihadis as role models.
This form of child abuse does not seem to bother human rights organizations or UNICEF, whose declared goal is to "work for a world in which every child has a fair chance in life and a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential..." UNICEF apparently does not believe its mandate extends to Palestinian children, who are exploited to serve the interests of Islamist groups.
In the view of human rights organizations, recruiting Palestinian children to the ranks of Islamist terror groups does not constitute child abuse.
What is the world prepared to do in order to combat this child abuse? UNICEF and other international bodies may not have time to deal with such issues at present, because they are too busy thinking about the next resolution to condemn Israel.
The Palestinian Authority often assures its people that among its top priorities is the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel - most of whom are convicted for terrorist crimes including murder.PMW: Warning to Palestinian students: "Beware of natural death; do not die, but amidst the hail of bullets"
Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat recently reiterated this, terming actions of terrorist prisoners as "acts of heroism", and stating that Palestinians "bow [their] heads in admiration and honor of the prisoners' sacrifices, for their acts of heroism":
"Our brave prisoners, who gave and sacrificed their freedom for Palestine and its freedom, are worthy of aid, support, and constant activity by us in order to release them and put an end to their suffering. The prisoners' cause is a national and central cause, and we bow our heads in admiration and honor of the prisoners' sacrifices, for their acts of heroism, and for their ongoing battle with the occupation." [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 19, 2016]
Among the prisoners whose actions Saeb Erekat would be admiring are:
- Abdallah Barghouti - serving 67 life sentences for preparing explosives for terror attacks in which 67 people were murdered: Sbarro restaurant (15 killed, Aug. 9, 2001, Jerusalem), Sheffield Club (15 killed, May 7, 2002, Rishon LeZion), Moment Café (11 killed, March 9, 2002, Jerusalem), triple attack at Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall (11 killed, Dec. 1, 2001, Jerusalem), Hebrew University (9 killed, July 31, 2002, Jerusalem), and Bus 4 in Tel Aviv (6 killed, Sept. 19, 2002).
- Ibrahim Hamed - serving 54 life sentences for planning suicide attacks, including the suicide bombings at Hebrew University (9 killed), Cafe Moment (12 killed), Cafe Hillel (7 killed), Zion Square in Jerusalem (11 killed).
- Abbas Al-Sayid - serving 35 life sentences for planning two suicide bombings, one at a Passover dinner at the Park Hotel in Netanya (30 killed, March 27, 2002) and another outside a shopping Mall in Netanya (5 killed, May 18, 2001).
Students at Al-Quds University erected a memorial stone for the university's "heroic Martyrs," which opens with the warning:Mother of terrorist: “All of us, praise Allah, give our children, and we do not regret a thing”
"Beware of natural death; do not die, but amidst the hail of bullets"
[Wattan, independent Palestinian news agency, Oct. 19, 2016]
This follows the Palestinian Authority policy to promote youth's participation in terror attacks, even if this means being killed. Dying for Allah (Shahada - Martyrdom) while attacking or killing Israelis, is routinely presented by the PA as preferable to life. This message is even presented to youth. For example, the day the PA announced the results of the recent matriculation exams, the official PA news agency, WAFA, wrote that high school students who had been killed while participating in terror attacks, and therefore had not finished high school, had taken "the path to excellence and greatness and the path of those who know how to reach the great victory."
The names on the memorial stone at Al-Quds University included that of murderer Muhannad Halabi, describing him as the "Heroic Martyr and Detonator of the third Intifada" - a reference to his killing of two Israeli civilians in October 2015, which Palestinians see as the launch of the terror wave which followed, and some termed "the third Intifada."
The monument was put in place by the Al-Quds branch of The Progressive Student Action Front, the student branch of the terror organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. After the monument's mysterious disappearance, the independent Palestinian news agency Wattan asked if the university agrees to the placement of "a monument of this sort." Dean of Student Affairs Abd Al-Raouf Abd Al-Sinawi said: