Fatah official glorifies arch-terrorist who planned killings of 125

Fatah Central Committee Member Abbas Zaki: "[Abu Jihad] was a substantial threat to Israel, starting with the Savoy operation (i.e., terror attack, Savoy hotel Tel Aviv, 11 killed) to the Dalal Mughrabi operation (i.e., bus hijacking, 37 killed). I am talking about the large-scale operations, the prominent ones and not the small ones: Dalal Mughrabi (i.e., bus hijacking 37 killed), Dimona (i.e., attack on bus, 3 killed) and the attempt to capture the [Israeli] Ministry of Defense. That is why this man, who it seems Allah created just to confront this enemy, dedicated his time to serious activity. Likewise, he had a talent for persuading young people to die as Martyrs and to always be prepared to sacrifice, give and be patient... Everyone should know that this region needs pioneers [on] the path of brother Abu Jihad." Notes: Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir) was a founder of Fatah and deputy to Yasser Arafat. He headed the PLO terror organization's military wing and also planned many deadly Fatah terror attacks. These attacks, which killed a total of 125 Israelis, included the most lethal in Israeli history - the hijacking of a bus and killing of 37 civilians, 12 of them children. Savoy terror attack - In March 1975, eight terrorists traveled by boat from Lebanon to a Tel Aviv beach. They took over the Savoy Hotel and took guests as hostages. The next morning, Israeli forces attacked and killed seven of the terrorists. Eight hostages and three soldiers were killed by the terrorists during the attack. Mothers' Bus attack - On March 7, 1988, 3 Fatah terrorists hijacked a bus carrying workers to the Negev Nuclear Research Center in Dimona, and murdered 3 civilians - Miriam Ben-Yair, Rina Shiratky and Victor Ram. The attack is referred to as the Mothers' Bus attack because many of the passengers were working mothers. The terrorists were all killed by an Israel Police counter-terrorism unit that stormed the bus. Coastal Road Massacre - In March 1978, a group of Fatah terrorists from Lebanon hijacked a bus on Israel's Coastal Highway. Confronted by the Israeli army, the terrorists killed many of the passengers on the bus, in total 37 civilians, 12 of them children, and wounded more than 70. The attack is known in Israel as the Coastal Road Massacre.