Terrorist Dalal Mughrabi glorified in ping pong tournament
glorified in ping pong tournament
sponsored by Palestinian official Jibril Rajoub
it firmly repudiated violence
and affirmed an ethical, principled rejection
of terrorism in all its forms"
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
In the same week that Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas spoke about the Palestinians' desire to live in peace with Israel and their "rejection of terrorism in all its forms," Deputy-Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee Jibril Rajoub, who also heads the Palestinian Olympic Committee, glorified terrorist Dalal Mughrabi.
Dalal Mughrabi led the most lethal terror attack in Israel's history in 1978, when she and other terrorists hijacked a bus and killed 37 civilians, 12 of them children.
Rajoub chose to sponsor "The Martyr Dalal Mughrabi Table Tennis Tournament." At the closing ceremony, Vice President of the Palestinian Table Tennis Association, Radwan Al-Sharif, honored terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, when he "mentioned the glorious deeds of hero Martyr Dalal Mughrabi."
He also "conveyed greetings of Chairman of the Olympic Committee Jibril Rajoub" and "noted that the Table Tennis Association acts in accordance with the Olympic Committee's agenda."
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| Text on photo: "The Palestinian Table Tennis Association" "The Martyr (Shahida) Dalal Mughrabi Tournament" "The Beit Iba Sports Club" [Ma'an (independent Palestinian news agency), Sept. 26, 2013] |
Reporting on the preparations for the tournament, Ma'an, an independent Palestinian news agency, posted a picture of terrorist Mughrabi, apparently as part of an advertisement of the tournament:
The tournament was "intended for three groups: Women, young women, and girls," Ma'an reported. Naming a tournament for children and young adults after a terrorist follows the PA and Fatah policy of turning terrorists into role models for children, as has been documented extensively by Palestinian Media Watch.
During his recent speech at the UN, Abbas asked the international community "to remain alert to condemn and stop any actions on the ground that would undermine negotiations..." He ignored Palestinian incitement to hate, violence and glorification of terror, of which the Mughrabi tournament is a prime example.
On the contrary, Abbas said that the PA/PLO was against terror, claiming "it firmly repudiated violence and affirmed an ethical, principled rejection of terrorism in all its forms." He further claimed that Palestinians "keep reaching out to the Israeli side":
One of the major impediments to peace is that the PA teaches its people even today that Palestinians who have murdered Israeli civilians are heroes. Therefore Mughrabi, who participated in killing 37, is a Palestinian role model and not a terrorist according to the PA. Recently, PMW exposed that PA TV honored Abdallah Barghouti, Ibrahim Hamed and Abbas Al-Sayid, who between them facilitated the murders of 166 civilians in suicide bombings. PA TV attacked PMW saying: "If they [PMW] see all these prisoners as terrorists - we see them as heroes... all you heroic fighter prisoners."
The message Rajoub sent by sponsoring the tournament glorifying terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, which took place just a day after Abbas spoke about peace to the UN, is clear: people who have killed Israelis are heroes. This can hardly be called a message of "the two peoples, the Palestinian and the Israeli" being "partners in the task of peacemaking," which Abbas claimed to be promoting at the UN.
PMW has reported on statements by Rajoub encouraging violence, glorifying terrorists, and denying Israel's right to exist.
The following are reports on Fatah Central Committee member Rajoub's tournament glorifying terrorist Dalal Mughrabi:
"The Martyr (Shahida) Dalal Mughrabi Table Tennis Tournament comes to a close. [The tournament] was organized by the [Palestinian] Table Tennis Association and hosted by the Beit Iba club in Nablus that also awarded the prizes. 29 players attended the tournament...
Vice President of the [Palestinian Table Tennis] Association, Radwan Al-Sharif, spoke at the closing ceremony. He conveyed the greetings of Chairman of the Olympic committee Jibril Rajoub...
Al-Sharif stated that the tournament achieved many national, regional and athletic goals. He mentioned the glorious deeds of hero Martyr Dalal Mughrabi and noted that the Table Tennis Association acts in accordance with the Olympic Committee's agenda."
"The Beit Iba Youth Sports Club finished its preparations for hosting The Martyr (Shahida) Dalal Mughrabi Women's Table Tennis Tournament. The [club's] management convened for two consecutive days, during which tasks were handed out to the various committees in order to ensure the success of the tournament that will be sponsored by Chairman of the Olympic Committee Jibril Rajoub and by the Palestinian Table Tennis Association.
The tournament is expected to open on Friday at 9:30 AM, and will be attended by a select group of table tennis players from all areas of Palestine. The tournament is intended for three groups: Women, young women and girls."
"The Martyr (Shahida) Dalal Mughrabi Tournament"
"The Beit Iba Sports Club"
Note: Dalal Mughrabi - led the most lethal terror attack in Israel's history in 1978, when she and other terrorists hijacked a bus and killed 37 civilians, 12 of them children.