AK47s and rocks for kids promoted on PA TV

A children’s program on official PA TV that commemorated the late cartoonist Naji Al-Ali showed a selection of his cartoons, several of which promoted violence to kids.

The cartoonist was famous among Palestinians for having invented the cartoon characters “Handala” a boy who symbolizes the Palestinian refugee, and the woman Fatima. The cartoon above shows Fatima offering an AK47 automatic rifle to Handala.

Another cartoon showed Fatima with roots growing out below her dress connecting her to the ground, handing out rocks to children, including Handala. On the right, a girl is throwing a rock at an Israeli/Jew with a large nose and a Star of David on his hat who is covering his head.

The girl narrator on the program explained that Fatima symbolizes the strong Palestinian women:

Official PA TV narrator girl: “Naji [Al-Ali] invented the character of Handala, who was in his drawings regularly and represents a 10-year-old boy who turns his back to the viewers… Naji had another character who returned again and again in his drawings as the figure of the Palestinian woman, whom Naji called Fatima. She is a character who is not humiliated. Her vision is very clear on everything regarding the cause and the way to resolve it.”

[Official PA TV, From My Country, July 22, 2020]

Other cartoons by Al-Ali shown on PA TV portrayed Israeli soldiers as long-nosed cowards, scared of the rock throwing Palestinian children. The girl narrator explained to viewers that “the Israeli soldier has a long nose”:

Narrator girl: “The Israeli soldier has a long nose and in most cases he is confused facing the stones of the children, and he is bad and evil with opportunistic commanders.”

Palestinian Media Watch has documented that Fatah has used the Handala character to promote a solidarity campaign with striking imprisoned Palestinian terrorists.

The cartoonist Naji Al-Ali was murdered in London in 1987. His murder remains unsolved.