Endless superlatives to honor a Palestinian killer, in official PA and Fatah media
Endless superlatives to honor a
Palestinian killer,
in official PA and Fatah media
"A soul that still dwells in our hearts" "a battleship," "great" "unique commander" "fearless," "provided an example of heroism and loyalty" "sacrificed"
His attacks were: "Acts of heroism" "prominent operations" "self-sacrificing operations" "shattered the occupation's mentality" "a school for struggle"
Therefore: "This great man should not leave our minds or the consciousness of these great generations" "We draw confidence, a spirit of sacrifice, and a desire to continue the struggle from this magnificent anniversary"
"His path and history will remain in our hearts forever"
And the Student union at Al-Quds Open University held: "The Prince of Martyrs Khalil Al-Wazir 'Abu Jihad' Tournament"
By Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
The Palestinian Authority and Fatah celebrated the anniversary of the death of arch-terrorist Abu Jihad who planned attacks in which 125 Israelis were murdered with endless praise for the terrorist and the attacks he planned. In addition, a "Abu Jihad tournament" was arranged by the student union at Al-Quds Open University's Hebron branch.At "the Prince of Martyrs Khalil Al-Wazir 'Abu Jihad' Tournament" the director of the Hebron branch of the university, Dr. Abd Al-Qader Al-Darawish, stated that the "path and history" of terrorist Abu Jihad, "will remain in our hearts forever," and stressed that:
"We draw confidence, a spirit of sacrifice, and a desire to continue the struggle from this magnificent anniversary."
[Official PA daily Al-Haya Al-Jadida, April 23, 2018]
At an anniversary celebration, Fatah official Abbas Zaki portrayed the terrorist as "a battleship," "great," and "fearless": |  |
Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki: "A 'battleship' like this great man should not leave our minds or the consciousness of these great generations, which are currently teaching the enemy a lesson in punishment. We must tell them: There was a legendary man who fearlessly defied the enemies as much as possible."
[Official PA TV News, April 16, 2018]
Terrorist 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 in the 1960's - 1980's. These attacks, in which a total of 125 Israelis were murdered, included the most lethal in Israeli history - the hijacking of a bus and murder of 37 civilians, 12 of them children.During a broadcast on official PA TV, the newsreader praised Abu Jihad's "sacrifices and acts of heroism":
Official PA TV newsreader: "The history of the national commander was enumerated by his wife Intisar Al-Wazir Um Jihad, and this was in honor of the Martyr's sacrifices and acts of heroism for the liberation of the homeland."
At another ceremony commemorating Abu Jihad, Abbas Zaki said that the terrorist "constituted a school for struggle" and "provided an example of heroism and loyalty." Reporting on Zaki's speech, the official PA daily referred to terrorist Abu Jihad as the "unique commander" and to his attacks as "acts of heroism and self-sacrificing operations that shattered the occupation's mentality." [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 18, 2018, emphasis added]In another broadcast, PA TV saluted Abu Jihad as "a soul that still dwells in our hearts" and emphasized that he once said that Palestinians pave the way to "Palestine" with their "skulls":
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Official PA TV narrator: "To the Prince of Martyrs and the engineer of the [first] Intifada. To a soul that still dwells in our hearts and memories. To a soul whose body is absent, whose opinions, thoughts, and impact are still present to this day. Thirty years have passed since the death of Martyr commander Khalil Al-Wazir Abu Jihad, who always repeated: 'With our skulls we pave the path to the certain victory and return. The compass will never be wrong and will continue to point to Palestine.' Abu Jihad's compass was never wrong. He created it with determination, resolve, and courage for our freedom and honor."
[Official PA TV News, April 16, 2018]
Throughout April, Abbas' Fatah Movement has honored and glorified terrorist Abu Jihad and his attacks, as reported by Palestinian Media Watch, whereas the PA Ministry of Education marked the anniversary with radio broadcasts about the terrorist in all PA schools.PA TV also honored terrorist Abu Jihad with a special filler between broadcasts. While different photos of Abu Jihad appear with text about him on the screen, a narrator reads the text, which lists some of his "prominent operations":
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"Abu Jihad supervised a number of military operations, the most prominent of which were the coastal operation under the command of heroic Martyr Dalal Mughrabi, and the water pipeline bombing at the Eilabun tunnel. He also had a prominent role in commanding the battle of resolve in Beirut that lasted 88 days (i.e., in the First Lebanon War in 1982)."
[Official PA TV, twice on April 16, 2018]
The following are longer excerpts of the videos and articles mentioned above:Headline: "The Al-Zuhour [team] is champion and the Asafrah [team] is second in the Prince of Martyrs Abu Jihad Tournament"
"The Martyr Ziyad Al-Zuhour team was crowned champion after it defeated the Martyr Taha Asafrah team with a score of 2-1 in the Prince of Martyrs Khalil Al-Wazir 'Abu Jihad' Tournament (i.e., terrorist, responsible for murder of 125). It was organized by the student union council of the Hebron branch of Al-Quds Open University, in order to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the death as a Martyr of Abu Jihad...
University director (sic., Hebron branch director) Dr. Abd Al-Qader Al-Darawish... mentioned the memory of leader Martyr Abu Jihad in his speech...
He mentioned his path and history, which will remain in our hearts forever, and emphasized that we draw confidence, a spirit of sacrifice, and a desire to continue the struggle from this magnificent anniversary. He added that the commemoration of the anniversary is expressed by loyalty to the great leaders' principles, following their path, and rising to a level of greatness in sacrificing for the homeland and its freedom...
He also praised the organization of these quality championships, which take place as part of a series of multi-purpose activities on the student council's agenda. He expressed hope for continuation, which will certainly gain full support from the university administration. He also thanked everyone who participated and contributed to the success of this activity."
[Official PA daily Al-Haya Al-Jadida, April 23, 2018]
The "Martyr Ziyad Al-Zuhour team" mentioned in the text is named after a terrorist who threw firebombs at Israeli forces near Hebron on Jan. 19, 2006; the soldiers shot in response and killed him. The "Martyr Taha Asafrah team" is named after a Palestinian who was killed in a suicide bombing on Dec. 29, 2005. In the attack two suicide bombers blew themselves up when their taxi was stopped at an Israeli army roadblock near Tulkarem, as they were en route to Israel. In the blast Israeli army officer Ori Binamo, the taxi driver, and Asafrah -who was also in the taxi - were murdered, and the two terrorists died. PMW has been unable to verify if Asafrah and the driver were connected to the suicide bombers.Headline: "A conference in Tulkarem to commemorate the life path of Prince of Martyrs Abu Jihad"
"The [PLO] Political and National Guidance Authority and the [PA] Ministry of Information in the Tubas and North Jordan Valley district marked the 30th anniversary of the death as a Martyr (Shahid) of deputy general commander of the revolution forces and engineer of the first Intifada (i.e., Palestinian wave of violence and terror against Israel, 1987-1993 in which approximately 200 Israelis were murdered) Khalil Al-Wazir 'Abu Jihad' (i.e., terrorist, responsible for murder of 125), and also Prisoner's Day...
District Governor [Ahmed] As'ad said that as is its custom, Tubas is marking Palestinian Prisoner's Day and the anniversary of deputy general commander of the Palestinian revolution forces Khalil Al-Wazir, at a time when our people is remembering the unique commander's acts of heroism and his self-sacrificing operations (i.e., terror attacks) that shattered the occupation's mentality, as he was the First Bullet and the First Stone...
Fatah Movement Central Committee member [and Fatah Commissioner for Arab and China Relations] Abbas Zaki reviewed the life path of Martyr Khalil Al-Wazir, who constituted a school for struggle who succeeded in realizing national unity, created an extraordinary incident that did not happen again in Palestine, and provided an example of heroism and loyalty. He also said that Al-Wazir entered the hearts and minds of the members of our people and the Arab brothers, who fought among themselves to receive his body after the crime of his assassination."
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 18, 2018]
Official PA TV newsreader: "The Khalil Al-Wazir Foundation... held a conference for the 30th anniversary of the death as a Martyr of Prince of Martyrs Khalil Al-Wazir [Abu Jihad] under the title: 'Abu Jihad - Stops Along the Way'... "
Official PA TV newsreader: "The history of the national commander was enumerated by his wife Intisar Al-Wazir Um Jihad, and this was in honor of the Martyr's sacrifices and acts of heroism for the liberation of the homeland."
Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki: "A 'battleship' like this great man should not leave our minds or the consciousness of these great generations, which are currently teaching the enemy a lesson in punishment. We must tell them: There was a legendary man who fearlessly defied the enemies as much as possible."
[Official PA TV News, April 16, 2018]
Official PA TV narrator reads text on screen: "There is no voice that rises above the voice of the intifada" - These are the words of Martyr commander Khalil Al-Wazir Abu Jihad who was described as the engineer of the first Intifada. He is Khalil Ibrahim Mahmoud Al-Wazir, one of the Fatah Movement's most important and historic commanders and commander of its military wing... Abu Jihad was given responsibility for the Fatah Movement's western sector, the sector that managed the operations (i.e., terror attacks) in the occupied territories (i.e., Israel). Abu Jihad supervised a number of military operations, the most prominent of which were the coastal operation under the command of heroic Martyr Dalal Mughrabi, and the water pipeline bombing at the Eilabun tunnel. He also had a prominent role in commanding the battle of resolve in Beirut that lasted 88 days (i.e., in the First Lebanon War in 1982)."
[Official PA TV, twice on April 16, 2018]
Coastal Road Massacre - In March 1978, a group of Fatah terrorists from Lebanon led by Dalal Mughrabi hijacked a bus on Israel's Coastal Highway. Confronted by the Israeli army, the terrorists murdered many of the passengers on the bus, in total 37 civilians, 12 of them children, and wounded more than 70. The attack, orchestrated by arch-terrorist Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir), is known in Israel as the Coastal Road Massacre.Bombing of Israel's National Water Carrier (Eilabun tunnel) - On Jan. 1, 1965, Palestinian terrorists attempted to bomb Israel's National Water Carrier. This was the first attack against Israel carried out by Fatah. Fatah refers to the attack as the "Intilaqa", meaning "the Launch" of Fatah.
The First Lebanon War - The First Lebanon War began on June 6, 1982 following a long period of PLO attacks against Israel and after terrorists from the Abu-Nidal terror group attempted to assassinate Israeli Ambassador to the UK Shlomo Argov. The war began as a short-term operation called "Operation Peace for Galilee," which aimed to destroy the militant infrastructure on Israel's border with Lebanon. The war ended up lasting until 1985, when the Israeli army withdrew from Lebanon, leaving behind a token force (which withdrew in 2000) to aid the Lebanese in patrolling the security zone along the border. Israel suffered more than 1,200 fatalities in the war.