PA daily article criticizes terrorist attacks committed by children while demonizing Israel for "luring" them
Op-ed by Hafez Al-Barghouti, regular columnist for Al-Hayat Al-Jadida
Headline: "The occupation and luring children"
"We said from the beginning: 'Do not throw your children into the battle although the occupation, in its oppression, does not differentiate between children, youth and elderly, and although the settlers intentionally burned children, and although the occupation, through its barbaric oppression which provokes every living being, is trying to lure children to [battle].'
Nonetheless, the members of the [Hamas] Nablus cell (i.e., who murdered two parents in front of their four children on Oct. 1, 2015) confirmed, after they were arrested, that they refrained from shooting the settlers' children, as was the case with Thaer Hammad, (i.e., terrorist who shot and killed 10 people) the sniper from Oyoun Al-Haramiya who refrained from shooting the settler and her children, and instructed her to go back. So far, since the beginning of last month, dozens of children, who have nothing to do with the stabbings and the struggle, have died as Martyrs (Shahids), but the occupation, who publicized the video of the interrogation of the boy Ahmad Manasrah (i.e., young boy who stabbed two), tried to address an audience of children while still abusing the boy. This was in order to provoke children like him [Manasrah], and urge them to do as he did, and this is what happened yesterday [Nov. 10, 2015] in the settlement of Pisgat Ze'ev in Jerusalem (i.e., when two Palestinian boys, 12 and 13, stabbed a security guard on a train). The most important principle in resisting the occupation is to avoid any action that may make you resemble the occupation and its actions. Namely, you should refrain from inhuman actions in order to preserve your human emotions, even if the occupation has lost its humanity, as it is not your duty to imitate it... Barbarity is a problem of whoever acts this way, and we should not recruit children into a cycle of violence they are unable to handle. We remember how, in one of the battles, the noble Prophet [Muhammad], refused to recruit a young boy, although the boy stood on his tiptoes in order to look older. Therefore, I believe that the stabbing operations (i.e., attacks) in such cases have become pointless. It is more appropriate to distance our children from demonstrations at which there are confrontations with the occupation. It is true that their future under the occupation is uncertain, like the future of all of us, but it is appropriate that we distance them from the confrontations so that they can experience their childhood. Miserable as it might be, it is better than a childhood of a wounded, a prisoner, or a Martyr with no childhood."
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The Henkin murders - Israelis Naama and Eitam Henkin (also an American citizen) were murdered in a shooting attack on Oct. 1, 2015, on the road between Itamar and Elon Moreh in the West Bank. Their four children, aged 9, 7, 4, and 4 months, were also in the car and witnessed the murders, but were not physically injured.
Five suspects in the murder, members of a Hamas terrorist cell, were arrested by Israel and confessed to the murders. The leader of the group, Ragheb Ahmad Muhammad Aliwi, has served time in an Israeli prison for security related crimes.
Thaer Hammad – Palestinian terrorist serving 11 life sentences for murdering 3 Israeli civilians and 7 soldiers by shooting them with a sniper rifle from a hilltop in Wadi Al-Haramiya between Ramallah and Nablus on March 3, 2002.
Pisgat Ze'ev stabbing attack - On Oct. 12, 2015, two Palestinian terrorists, Hassan Manasrah (15) and Ahmad Manasrah (13), stabbed Yossef Ben Shalom (21) in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood of East Jerusalem, then repeatedly stabbed a 13-year-old boy (name undisclosed at time of writing) who was riding his bike. Hassan Manasrah was killed while fleeing the scene, and Ahmad Manasrah was shot by Israeli police and hospitalized. Both victims of the attack were seriously injured. The terrorists, who were cousins, came from the nearby Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina.
Stabbing attack on light rail train in Pisgat Ze'ev - Two Palestinian terrorists, Muawiyah and Ali Alqam, aged 12 and 13, stabbed and wounded an Israeli security guard on Jerusalem's light rail train in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood, on Nov. 10, 2015. Israeli police shot and wounded the 12-year-old stabber and the second one was held by train passengers until security forces arrived.
Headline: "The occupation and luring children"
"We said from the beginning: 'Do not throw your children into the battle although the occupation, in its oppression, does not differentiate between children, youth and elderly, and although the settlers intentionally burned children, and although the occupation, through its barbaric oppression which provokes every living being, is trying to lure children to [battle].'
Nonetheless, the members of the [Hamas] Nablus cell (i.e., who murdered two parents in front of their four children on Oct. 1, 2015) confirmed, after they were arrested, that they refrained from shooting the settlers' children, as was the case with Thaer Hammad, (i.e., terrorist who shot and killed 10 people) the sniper from Oyoun Al-Haramiya who refrained from shooting the settler and her children, and instructed her to go back. So far, since the beginning of last month, dozens of children, who have nothing to do with the stabbings and the struggle, have died as Martyrs (Shahids), but the occupation, who publicized the video of the interrogation of the boy Ahmad Manasrah (i.e., young boy who stabbed two), tried to address an audience of children while still abusing the boy. This was in order to provoke children like him [Manasrah], and urge them to do as he did, and this is what happened yesterday [Nov. 10, 2015] in the settlement of Pisgat Ze'ev in Jerusalem (i.e., when two Palestinian boys, 12 and 13, stabbed a security guard on a train). The most important principle in resisting the occupation is to avoid any action that may make you resemble the occupation and its actions. Namely, you should refrain from inhuman actions in order to preserve your human emotions, even if the occupation has lost its humanity, as it is not your duty to imitate it... Barbarity is a problem of whoever acts this way, and we should not recruit children into a cycle of violence they are unable to handle. We remember how, in one of the battles, the noble Prophet [Muhammad], refused to recruit a young boy, although the boy stood on his tiptoes in order to look older. Therefore, I believe that the stabbing operations (i.e., attacks) in such cases have become pointless. It is more appropriate to distance our children from demonstrations at which there are confrontations with the occupation. It is true that their future under the occupation is uncertain, like the future of all of us, but it is appropriate that we distance them from the confrontations so that they can experience their childhood. Miserable as it might be, it is better than a childhood of a wounded, a prisoner, or a Martyr with no childhood."
Click to view bulletin
The Henkin murders - Israelis Naama and Eitam Henkin (also an American citizen) were murdered in a shooting attack on Oct. 1, 2015, on the road between Itamar and Elon Moreh in the West Bank. Their four children, aged 9, 7, 4, and 4 months, were also in the car and witnessed the murders, but were not physically injured.
Five suspects in the murder, members of a Hamas terrorist cell, were arrested by Israel and confessed to the murders. The leader of the group, Ragheb Ahmad Muhammad Aliwi, has served time in an Israeli prison for security related crimes.
Thaer Hammad – Palestinian terrorist serving 11 life sentences for murdering 3 Israeli civilians and 7 soldiers by shooting them with a sniper rifle from a hilltop in Wadi Al-Haramiya between Ramallah and Nablus on March 3, 2002.
Pisgat Ze'ev stabbing attack - On Oct. 12, 2015, two Palestinian terrorists, Hassan Manasrah (15) and Ahmad Manasrah (13), stabbed Yossef Ben Shalom (21) in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood of East Jerusalem, then repeatedly stabbed a 13-year-old boy (name undisclosed at time of writing) who was riding his bike. Hassan Manasrah was killed while fleeing the scene, and Ahmad Manasrah was shot by Israeli police and hospitalized. Both victims of the attack were seriously injured. The terrorists, who were cousins, came from the nearby Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina.
Stabbing attack on light rail train in Pisgat Ze'ev - Two Palestinian terrorists, Muawiyah and Ali Alqam, aged 12 and 13, stabbed and wounded an Israeli security guard on Jerusalem's light rail train in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood, on Nov. 10, 2015. Israeli police shot and wounded the 12-year-old stabber and the second one was held by train passengers until security forces arrived.
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