Official Fatah Facebook page celebrates anniversary of 1982 capture of IDF soldiers: “What we need today is the optimism that our enemies’ power is feeble”

Images and text posted on the official Fatah Facebook page

The top image shows then PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat at a Fatah terror base in Tripoli, Libya, holding an assault rifle seized from one of the eight Israeli soldiers captured in Lebanon on Sept. 4, 1982. Standing next to Arafat on the right is current Fatah Deputy Chairman and Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul, who was one of the Fatah terrorists who captured the soldiers.

The bottom image shows six of the captive Israeli soldiers held by Fatah.

Posted text: “Today, Sept. 4 [2018], is the anniversary of the capture of the eight Israeli soldiers in Lebanon (in 1982, see note below –Ed.)
This is an anniversary for the fighting willpower, the victory, and the standing against the army of the occupiers and their arsenal: Four young Fatah members captured eight Israeli soldiers. The occupation soldiers were superior in number and equipment over the four self-sacrificing fighters (Fedayeen), but the willpower brought victory to the sons of Fatah.
What we need today is the optimism that our enemies’ power is feeble, and that we have enough bodies of power to be optimistic about the future, despite the attempts to spread despair in our ranks.
A small layer of people who believe in Palestine and in the realization of our people’s goals can defeat a seemingly large layer of people.
Today at this time, we draw inspiration from this anniversary as provisions for our journey toward the victory that will undoubtedly come
Munir Al-Jaghoub
Head of the Information Office
Fatah Movement Mobilization and Organization Commission”
Click to view bulletin

The capture of 8 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon – On Sept. 4, 1982, 8 Israeli soldiers were captured by Fatah terrorists in Bhamadoun, Lebanon. Two of them were handed to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and 6 were held by Fatah. Fatah released the 6 soldiers on Nov. 23, 1983 as part of an exchange deal in which Israel released 4,700 terrorists that were held in Lebanon and 65 terrorists held in Israel. The two handed over to the PFLP were released on May 21, 1985, as part of an exchange deal in which Israel released 1,150 terrorist prisoners.