July 15, 1998
Yasir Arafat’s new decree awarding scholarships to
students who are children of “martyrs” glorifies anti-Israel violence, the
Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has warned.
The secretary of the Palestinian Higher Committee for Scholarships,
Hussein Abu Al-Ala, announced (Jerusalem Times, July 3, 1998), “Upon the
instructions of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, priority will be given
to the sons of martyrs when it comes to awarding scholarships.” The
scholarships are used for study at universities in the territories and
abroad.
In addition to scholarships, Al-Ala said, “The committee will also
award certain benefits, such as free air tickets, and a monthly allowance,
to the sons of martyrs to help them take up offers of scholarships abroad.”
Arafat and the Palestinian Authority routinely use the term
“martyr” to refer to Arab terrorists who massacred Jews, and who were
themselves later killed:
- When the master Hamas bomb-maker, Yiyhe Ayyash, was killed in
1996, Arafat praised him as a “martyr”(N.Y.Times, Jan.8, 1996) - After the March 1997 suicide bombing of a Tel Aviv cafe (killing
3 Israeli women), the Palestinian Legislative Council sent condolences to
the family of the bomber Moussa Ghneimat and praised him as a “holy
martyr”(Ma’ariv, March 28, 1997) - In November 1997, Marwan Barghouti, head of Arafat’s Fatah group
in Judea-Samaria, said that Fatah considers all Arab suicide
bombers “as martyrs.” (IMRA, Nov.6, 1997) - Following the death of Muhi a-Din a-Sharif, a Hamas bomb-maker
responsible for dozens of Israeli deaths, Yasser Arafat’s wife, Suha,
publicly praised a-Sharif as “a Palestinian martyr.” (Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, April 6, 1998)
Other recent actions by Arafat and the PA encouraging anti-Israel
violence:
Arafat and PA Collaborate with Hamas:
- Arafat publicly hugged and kissed Hamas leaders, Abd el-Rantisi and
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. - Arafat has refused to extradite Hamas killers to Israel, shut down Hamas
training camps, outlaw Hamas, or even publicly criticize Hamas by name. - Asked by a reporter about Hamas, Arafat replied, “There is no
confrontation with Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.” (United Press
International, September 12, 1996) - PA Justice Minister Freih Abu Medein said: “The PA and the
opposition complement each other…We regard Hamas and Islamic Jihad as
national elements…The main enemy, now and forever, is Israel.” (An Nahar,
April 11, 1995; Al Quds, April 14, 1995) - PA Cabinet Minister Nabil Sha’ath said: “We have a brotherly
relationship with Hamas.” (Reuters, Oct. 28, 1994) - Hisham Abdel-Rizak, Fatah leader in Gaza, said: “The dialogue with
Hamas will not be broken off. Hamas is part of the Palestinian people.”
(United Press International, Oct. 28, 1994) - Arafat named a public square in Jericho after Hamas bomb-maker Yiyha
Ayyash, and publicly praising Ayyash as “holy.” - Arafat praised Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as “my brother Ahmed
Yassin the warrior.” (New York Times, July 2, 1994)
Two Hamas Officials Serve in Arafat’s Cabinet
- Arafat named Imad Falouji, a Hamas activist from Gaza, as a
Minister Without Portfolio, and chose Talal Sidr, a Hamas activist from
Hebron, as Minister of Youth. (Jerusalem Post, Jan.26, 1997)
Public Sites Named in Honor of Hamas Terrorists
- A public square in Arafat-controlled Jericho was named in
honor of Hamas bomb-maker Yiyhe Ayyash. (Peace Watch June 1996 Report, p.15) - A street in Arafat-controlled Beit Lahiya was named in honor of
Hamas bomb-maker Yiyhe Ayyash (Jerusalem Post, Dec. 17, 1996)
Arafat Permits “Hamas Week” in PA-Controlled Nablus
In November 1997, Arafat permitted the Hamas terrorist group to stage a
week-long exhibition glorifying terrorism and terrorists, at A-Najah
University, in PA-controlled Nablus. Arafat’s official newspaper, Al Hayat
Al Jadidah, published a report praising the exhibition in its edition of
November 23, 1997:
The University’s campus was turned into a Palestinian
city during the Intifada–dozens of veiled-face
individuals carrying submachine guns, five
machine guns on the shoulders, swords and other sharp
objects which created the Intifada’s unique culture…At
the entrance to the “Martyrs’ Exhibit,” enormous pictures
of holy martyrs who ascended to heaven were drawn…as
well as a huge drawing of a veiled-face youth, carrying
a stone in order to throw it at an occupation patrol…
Marking the opening of the “Struggle Week” activities,
veiled-face youths blew up and burned an Israeli bus,
symbolizing the suicide bombings carried out by Iz a-Din
al-Qassam’s squads. In one corner, there was large tent
called “The Shahid’s Tent,” which presented the clothes
of holy martyrs who were killed during the Intifada…
The body of a man who was executed during the
Intifada for collaborating with the occupation was
hanging on the stem of a palm tree…
Arafat and Senior Aides Praise Hamas:
- Col. Jibril Rajoub, chief of the Palestinian Authority’s Preventive
Security Service, said in a May 27, 1998 interview with Al-Jazira
television: “We view Hamas as part of the national and Islamic liberation
movement Outside of the 3 percent they can do as they wish. They can go to Jordan to carry out
armed operations and they can also carry out such operations from Syria. At
the top of my list of priorities is the occupation and not Hamas.
We are not interested in arrests.” - Arafat said “Hamas, even its military wing, is a patriotic movement.”
(The Russian newspaper Novoya Vremy, May 25, 1997). - Arafat publicly praised Yiyhe Ayyash, the master Hamas bomb-maker
who killed at least 60 Israelis, as “a martyr.” (Jerusalem Post, July 28,
1996) - Arafat’s “Foreign Minister,” Farouk Kaddoumi, said: “Hamas is part of
the national movement and it has its own style and approach to action. It
is resisting the Israeli enemy.” (An Nahar, March 9, 1996) - Arafat publicly praised Hamas bomb-maker Yiyhe Ayyash as “the struggler,
the martyr.”(New York Times, January 8, 1996) - PA Cabinet Minister Hanan Ashrawi said: “It is not up to Israel
to decide or define who is our enemy. Hamas is not the enemy, it is part
of the political fabric.” (Jerusalem Post, July 25, 1995) - Abbas Zakai of the Fatah Central Committee said: “
strengthen the Palestinian position…It would be dangerous to stop these
actions, because the accords will crumble if there is nothing to make
Israel go forward.” (Al Hayat, April 17, 1995)
