The Palestinian Santa: Victim, Fighter and even evil Trump
The PA loves to use the image of Santa Claus in its cartoons around Christmas to bolster its policy of demonizing Israel and Israelis.
Over the years the Palestinian Santa has been murdered by Israeli soldiers, fought Israeli soldiers, been frustrated as he was prevented from helping Palestinians, and was even an evil Santa giving gifts to Israel.
Santa as Victim:
This year’s Santa is given the most important part of the Palestinian identity – the victim.
Santa is a Palestinian refugee in Gaza wearing the “key of return”, whose hands are tied by the Star of David. Israel/Jews are preventing him from celebrating in Bethlehem. The cartoon appeared on the official Facebook page of Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement. [Official Fatah Facebook page, Dec. 20, 2019]
The following are some of the Palestinian Santas who have appeared in recent years:
Santa the Victim
Santa murder libel in 2 parts: Israel plants knife on Santa to create pretext of "stabbing attack" and then murders him
This cartoon in 2 parts was published on Dec. 26 and 28, 2016, focuses on the Palestinian terror wave the PA called the “knife intifada,” in which Palestinian terrorists murdered 44 people and even more terrorists were killed while carrying out terror attacks.
Throughout the terror wave, the PA simultaneously celebrated and honored the terrorist murderers, yet created the libel that those terrorists killed during their attacks were actually innocent civilians murdered by Israel, and the knives’ found at the scenes of the attacks were planted there by Israel.
That is the message of this 2 part Santa cartoon. Santa is being held at gunpoint by an Israeli soldier while a second soldier is holding a knife, about to plant it next to Santa to fabricate a stabbing attack by Santa in order to create a pretext to murder him. [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, official PA daily, Dec. 26, 2016]
Santa murder libel: Part 2
The second cartoon shows an Israeli soldier pointing an assault rifle having just shot Santa, as evidenced by the blood on Santa’s shirt and on the ground.
The soldier says: “He tried to carry out a stabbing operation.” [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, official PA daily, Dec. 28, 2016]
Cartoon on Fatah Twitter depicts Israeli soldiers searching Santa
The cartoon shows two Israeli soldiers with the Star of David on their helmets conducting a physical search on Santa against the Israeli security wall, as well as a search of his sack of gifts.
Posted text:
"Invitation
The Bethlehem district committee for coordinating the factions, the popular committees, the civil society institutions, and the civilian institutions invite you to participate on Saturday [Dec. 23, 2017] in a Christmas procession towards Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Palestine, at 1:00 p.m. at Nisan Square
Jerusalem will remain the eternal capital of Palestine"[Fatah Twitter account, Dec. 22, 2017]
Santa the Fighter Encouraging Violence
Santa is a rock-throwing Palestinian in Fatah cartoon
The cartoon shows Santa Claus throwing rocks from his sack at an armed Israeli soldier with a Star of David on his helmet, who is running away from the rocks. Next to Santa a smiling Palestinian woman with a Palestinian flag on her dress is making the "V" sign for “Victory.” [Fatah Twitter account, Dec. 24, 2017]
Frustrated Santa unable to help Palestinian victims
Santa hides his eyes as Israeli soldier throws grenades down chimney on Christmas Eve
Cartoon headline: "The occupation's presents on Christmas Eve"
The cartoon shows an Israeli soldier with a Star of David on his helmet throwing hand grenades and firing his assault rifle down a chimney while Santa Claus stands to the side, covering his eyes. [Fatah's Information and Culture Commission website, Jan. 1, 2017]
Terrorist's mother wants Santa to retrieve his body from Israel
The cartoon shows a Palestinian “Martyr’s” mother saying to Santa Claus: “I want to bury my son in the bosom of the land he redeemed with his blood, and [I ask] that he not remain in the Zionist refrigerators.” [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, official PA daily, Dec. 26, 2015]
The “Zionist refrigerators” refers to cases in which terrorists’ bodies are held by Israel and not transferred immediately to the PA, for various reasons.
PA daily cartoon depicts Israeli soldier dragging a child away from Santa
The cartoon shows an armed Israeli soldier dragging a child away from Santa Claus, who is on his hands and knees, as the child and Santa Claus reach out to each other over a barrier and barbed wire. [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, official PA daily, Dec. 26, 2017]
PA daily cartoon: Santa visits Palestinian child in prison
The cartoon shows Santa Claus visiting a Palestinian child in prison who is in handcuffs. Santa Claus is on one side of a glass window with a sack of gifts. [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, official PA daily, Dec. 24, 2017]
Evil Santa is Donald Trump
PA daily cartoon depicts Trump as Santa, gifting Dome of the Rock and the Holy Sepulchre to Israel
Santa it seems is not always a positive image in Palestinian Authority cartoons. This cartoon is in response to Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and his decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.
The cartoon shows Trump dressed as Santa Claus giving the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to Israel, represented by a soldier with an Israeli flag on his helmet. [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, official PA daily, Dec. 14, 2017]