Fatah fuels violence, and youth internalize it
Fatah calls on Palestinians to use weapons,
while Palestinians continue to celebrate death
Fatah poster calls for violence and Martyrdom:
"If I fall, take my place
O my comrade in the struggle
Carry my weapon
and do not fear my blood dripping from the weapon
I have not died, I still call to you through the wound"
Sisters of dead terrorist celebrate his death:
"I'm happy that my brother is a Martyr...
By Allah, we will trample your heads, Israel.
You think that my brother's blood will not be avenged? ...
I will die as a Martyr. All of my sisters will die as Martyrs"
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
The statement "my devotion is to Allah... my sacrifices are for Palestine... and my loyalty is to the Martyrs," was tweeted by Fatah on its official Twitter account. The tweet also included a poster with the Fatah logo showing a masked man holding a rifle. The text on the poster encouraged Palestinians to fight with weapons, and glorified death:
"Palestine
Fatah
Revolution until victory
If I fall - take my place
O my comrade in the struggle
Carry my weapon and do not fear my blood dripping from the weapon
I have not died, I still call to you through the wound"
[Fatah Twitter account, Jan. 23, 2016]
The many calls for violence in recent months by PA and Fatah leaders and the presentation of Martyrdom as an ideal have been documented by Palestinian Media Watch. From the statements and actions of Palestinians, it is clear the leaders' messages are impacting on the Palestinian public.
The official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida publicized on its website an interview with the mother and two sisters of terrorist Muhammad Nazmi Shamasneh, who was killed when he choked and stabbed an Israeli soldier on a bus while attempting to steal his weapon. Both sisters expressed their desire to "follow" their brother, use violence and "die as Martyrs":
Sister of terrorist stabber Muhammad Shamasneh: "I'm happy that my brother is a Martyr... You think that we, the Palestinian people, will sit silently? By Allah, we will trample your heads, Israel. You think that my brother's blood will not be avenged? By Allah, I will not sit silently. I will die as a Martyr. All of my sisters will die as Martyrs."
Second sister: "We will all follow in [my brother's] footsteps, all of us, one by one... He is a hero. I am happy. He died for the Al-Aqsa Mosque. I am happy, happy. He is a groom (i.e., the Islamic belief that Martyrs marry 72 Virgins in Paradise)."
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida website, Nov. 1, 2015]
A member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council praised the terror attacks carried out by "individuals" as "heroic acts... which greatly terrify the occupation," and encouraged the Palestinian "organizational and political elites" to support the terrorists and their families by "taking care" of anyone who carries out "a heroic act":
Fatah Revolutionary Council member, Hassan Shtewi: "There are two main forms of popular uprising. There is a mass uprising, manifested in demonstrations in different areas, and clashes with the occupation forces in Ramallah and different villages around Qalqilya, Bethlehem, and Hebron, as we can all see. The other form is heroic acts of individuals (i.e., terror attacks), which greatly terrify the occupation... The support for these acts and the families of those carrying them out is currently popular... This support should be regulated by the organizational and political elites, so that we can tell our people: 'You will be taken care of by reliable bodies when it comes to your blood, family and home, if you carry out a heroic act.'"
[Official PA TV, Dec. 28, 2015]
A similar call for violence tweeted recently by Fatah was also posted on Fatah's Facebook page last year.
The following is the Fatah tweet in its entirety:
"I am the brown-skinned Fatah man, and my devotion is to Allah
I am the brown-skinned Fatah man, and my sacrifices are for Palestine
I am the brown-skinned Fatah man, and my loyalty is to the Martyrs (Shahids)"
Text on poster:
"Palestine
Fatah
Revolution until victory
f I fall – take my place,
O my comrade in the struggle
Carry my weapon and do not fear my blood dripping from the weapon
I have not died, I still call to you through the wound"
[Fatah Twitter account, Jan. 23, 2016]
The following is a longer excerpt of the interview with the relatives of a terrorist stabber:
Mother of terrorist stabber Muhammad Shamasneh: "Allah have mercy on you, O Muhammad. You waved the flag of Islam over the Al-Aqsa Mosque... You waved the flag of Islam throughout the world, in the US, in Israel, and you crushed Israel and the US, Allah willing, O my Allah, we will free the Al-Aqsa Mosque from their hands. Their end is near..."
Sister of terrorist stabber Muhammad Shamasneh: "I'm happy that my brother is a Martyr... You think that we, the Palestinian people, will sit silently? By Allah, we will trample your heads, Israel. You think that my brother's blood will not be avenged? By Allah, I will not sit silently. I will die as a Martyr. All of my sisters will die as Martyrs... My brother died as a Martyr. The Zionists killed him. My brother is a hero. Israel, beware of thinking that my brother is a coward and a terrorist. My brother is a hero..."
[Crowd chanting:] Take me to Afula (Israeli city) [for] a Martyrdom-seeking operation.
Sister of terrorist stabber Muhammad Shamasneh: "We will all follow in [my brother's] footsteps, all of us, one by one... He is a hero. I am happy. He died for the Al-Aqsa Mosque. I am happy, happy. He is a groom (i.e., the Islamic belief that Martyrs marry 72 Virgins in Paradise)."
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida website, Nov. 1, 2015]
Muhammad Nazmi Shamasneh - 22-year-old Palestinian terrorist who choked and stabbed an Israeli soldier in order to take his weapon on Oct. 12, 2015, on bus 185 near the central bus station in Jerusalem. The terrorist also stabbed and injured two additional people. He was shot and killed by Israeli police.