Palestinian incitement distances peace

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Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, January 11, 2010.

Despite Israel’s efforts to encourage the Palestinian Authority leadership to
return to the peace talks, the PA continues to boycott negotiations and to incite
against Israel and praise terrorists.

Despite Israel’s numerous efforts to encourage the Palestinian Authority (PA)
leadership to return to the peace talks, the PA continues to boycott
negotiations and to incite against Israel and praise terrorists.

Among the incidents that indicate an upsurge in incitement in the past month,
are the official sponsorship of the naming of a Ramallah square after a terrorist
who slaughtered 37 Israelis and the glorification of the murderers of the late
Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai, killed on 24 December 2009 in a drive-by shooting.

This incitement is occurring despite the fact that the current Israeli government,
like previous governments, has made great efforts to advance peace. Time after
time, it has declared its commitment to peace and its willingness to make the
necessary compromises to reach that goal. It has also undertaken numerous
acts, such as a moratorium on settlement housing construction, that tangibly
demonstrate its commitment to negotiations while improving the lives of
Palestinians living under the control of the Palestinian Authority. Additionally,
like all Israeli governments, it invests a great deal of effort into educating for
peace.

The requirement for the Palestinians to end incitement has constituted one of
the core foundations of the peace process since its inception. The need to end
incitement stems from the recognition that true peace cannot be achieved as
long as the propagation of hate continues. As Prime Minister Netanyahu noted:
“Peace is made by educating towards reconciliation, by encouraging good
neighborly relations and by developing mutual respect.”

Incitement not only pushes peace farther away, it also jeopardizes Israel’s
security. Words can be dangerous. Hero-worship of terrorists and their
despicable acts – which has transpired not only in the past but in recent days –
inspires further violence.

Anti-Israeli incitement, including by the highest-ranking Palestinian officials, also
persists in official Palestinian media outlets and in the educational system. The
last week of 2009 provides a regrettable sample of Palestinian official
incitement. In one short week, incitement increased, terror attacks were carried
out both inside and outside the pre-’67 lines, and condemnation of the terrorist
attacks by the PA was conspicuously absent.

Following is a short summary of the most egregious events of the last week of
December 2009:

* Veneration of a mass-murdering Palestinian terrorist: On 29 December, PA
President Mahmoud Abbas funded and sponsored a ceremony celebrating the
memory of Dalal
al-Maghrabi. She was
the terrorist responsible for the Coastal Road massacre in 1978 in which 37
Israelis were murdered within the pre-67 “Green Line”. During the ceremony –
one of many held in her honor – dignitaries sang her praises and children
marched in honor of this murderer’s 50th birthday. For quite some time, the PA
has strived to turn this female terrorist into a role model for young Palestinian
children. Indeed, two high schools for girls, a computer center, children’s
summer camps and a square in the Ramallah area have all been named for her.

* Expressions of support for the murderers of Rabbi Chai: On 24 December,
Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai was shot to death while driving in his car. Even
though members of the PLO’s own Fatah faction took responsibility for the
shooting attack, PA officials saw no reason to denounce the attack or even to
express their condolences to his wife and seven children. Incredibly, PA
President Abbas sent a representative to pay his condolences to the families of
the terrorists (who were subsequently killed while resisting arrest) and to
declare them shahids (holy martyrs). Abbas even had letters sent to their
families on his behalf to console them and praise the murder these terrorists
carried out.

In a further outrageous act, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority,
Salam Fayyad personally visited the families of the
terrorists,
accompanied by a delegation of dignitaries which included PA government
ministers and the Chief of the Palestinian Police, all the while condemning
Israel’s attempt to apprehend the terrorists.

* Fatah calls for armed “resistance” over peace negotiations: Fatah, which is
headed by President Abbas, issued a statement on its official
website 359> following the Rabbi Chai murder which called for the continuance of the
“armed struggle” by Fatah and all the other factions. It declared “resistance,”
and not negotiations, “as the primary option for liberating Palestinian lands from
the filth of the children of Zion [Jews].” This announcement, and others like it,
receive the support of the leaders of the movement, including members of the
Palestinian Authority leadership.

The continuation of incitement by the PA leadership constitutes a serious
violation of the Palestinians’ international obligations and calls into question
their commitment to peace. It is manifestly clear to all parties interested in
promoting peace in the region that the cessation of incitement is an essential
condition for achieving a genuine peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel
calls upon the Palestinian leadership to stop the incitement and to return to the
negotiating table.

Note of Likud of Holland: See our website for many more examples of the Palestinian Authority
not condemning but supporting terror in the Palestinian media and schoolbooks: