Zionist Organization of America, May 5, 1999
The State Department’s annual report on international
terrorism brands Syria and North Korea “sponsors of terrorism” because they
permit terrorist groups to operate on their territory — yet the report
fails to designate the Palestinian Authority as a sponsor of terror, even
though the PA permits the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist groups to
operate from its territory, according to an analysis of the report prepared
by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said:
“This report is a politically-motivated whitewash. Admitting that Arafat harbors terrorists
would result in cutting off U.S. aid to the Palestinian Arabs and halting
all pressure on Israel to make concessions to Arafat — and that would
conflict with the State Department’s pro-Arafat policies.”
The report, Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1998 was released this week by the State Department.
The report names North Korea as one of the seven regimes that
“sponsor terror” because although North Korea “has not been linked solidly
to the planning or execution of an international terrorist attack since
1987…
North Korea continues to provide safehaven to members of the
Japanese Communist League-Red Army faction…”
The report names Syria as one of the seven regimes that “sponsor
terror” because although
“there is no evidence that Syrian officials have
engaged directly in planning or executing international terrorist attacks
since 1986,” Syria
“nonetheless continues to provide safehaven and support
to several terrorist groups, allowing some to maintain training camps or other facilities on
Syrian territory,” among them Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Yasir Arafat’s Palestinian Authority likewise provides safe haven
to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and allows them to maintain training camps and
other facilities in PA territory–yet that is no mentioned in the State
Department report’s section on the PA.
Regarding the PA, the report says
that “the Palestinian Authority conducted raids and arrests that undercut
the extremists’ ability to inflict as many fatalities as in previous years.”
(The State Department fails to acknowledge that the PA conducted
“raids” only rarely, when it was under strong U.S. and Israeli pressure,
and although it conducted “arrests,” it routinely released the arrested
terrorists within a short time.)
The PA’s Policies toward hamas: some examples
- Training Camps: The PA has never shut down Hamas training camps,
outlawed Hamas, or disarmed its members. -
Sheltering Killers: The PA has ignored all of Israel’s 38 requests for
the transfer of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists to Israel for
prosecution. - Embracing Hamas Leaders: Yasir Arafat publicly hugged and kissed Hamas
leaders Abd el-Rantisi and Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. - “We won’t dismember Hamas”: Nabil Sha’ath, Arafat’s close confidante and
PA Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, told the Palestinian
Arab newspaper Jerusalem Times (December 18, 1998):“There are no provisions for dismembering Hamas or the Islamic resistance or their
offices or clinics or publications or educational establishments or any of
the things Israel considered the infrastructure of terrorism.”Instead of fighting Hamas, Sha’ath said, the PA’s “true desire is to recruit those
factions to help us resist Israeli obstinacy.” - “We won’t control Hamas”: Another senior Arafat aide made similar
remarks recently. Amin Hindi, the chief of Arafat’s Palestinian General
Intelligence was asked by the Arab newspaper Jerusalem Times (Sept.25,
1998), about Israel’s demand that the PA “uproot the infrastructure of
Hamas.” Hindi replied: “We have no intention to control Hamas.” - Praising Hamas:
Col. Jibril Rajoub, chief of the PA’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.”Arafat said “Hamas, even its military wing, is a patriotic movement.” (The
Russian newspaper Novoya Vremy, May 25, 1997).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) - 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) - 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)
Arafat and his aides praise Hamas terrorists:
- 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) - 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) - When the master Hamas bomb-maker, Yiyhe Ayyash, was killed in 1996,
Arafat praised him as a “martyr”(N.Y.Times, Jan. 8, 1996) - Arafat praised Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as “my brother Ahmed
Yassin the warrior.” (New York Times, July 2, 1994) - Hamas Officials 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)
