PA uses music to promote violence: “No force… can remove the weapon from my hand”

Ignoring its commitments under the Oslo Accords, the Road Map, Annapolis, and many additional verbal commitments internationally, the PA has never renounced violence and terror against Israel to its own people. On the contrary, they have repeatedly announced their adherence to it: in speeches by PA officials,  at official events, on PA TV programs, on posters and in cartoons, or in songs and music videos. They continue to honor and reward terrorists who have committed gruesome murders, even in recent years. The PA uses all available means to communicate to Palestinians that violence and terror are always an option in the “struggle” for “Palestine” and the eradication of Israel.

One such means is songs. One song in particular stresses the fact that the Palestinians have and will never abandon violence: My Weapon Has Emerged. The repeating refrain declares: “There is no force in the world that can remove the weapon from my hand.”

In a quiz on Palestinian musical history, the PA currently presents this song as one of the Palestinian national songs that “express our national identity,“ and “fascinate us with values and meanings.” Significantly, not only the words celebrate the use of violence, so do the visuals PA TV added. While the song is playing, footage is shown of masked Palestinians carrying weapons, attacking, and shooting. To leave no doubt who this violence is aimed at and that murderous terror is the goal, an image from an Israeli funeral has been inserted, showing soldiers carrying a coffin draped in an Israeli flag:

Official PA TV narrator: “Because songs are a basic part of our culture and they express our national identity… and because these songs are present in our consciousness and still enchant us with values and meanings… It’s here: “Melody of a homeland.”

Lyrics: “From my wounds, my weapon has emerged.
Oh, our revolution, my weapon has emerged.
There is no force in the world that can remove the weapon from my hand…
As the weapon of the revolution is in my hand, so my presence will be forced [upon Israel].
My weapon has emerged.
My weapon has emerged.
From my wounds, my weapon has emerged.
Oh, our revolution, my weapon has emerged.
There is no force in the world that can remove the weapon from my hand…“
Narrator and text on screen: “Who is the composer of the song My Weapon Has Emerged?”

[Official PA TV, Nov. 13, 14, and 17, 2020]

The song in its entirety contains additional lyrics encouraging Martyrdom that were not aired during this TV broadcast:

“He who offers his blood does not care
if his blood flows upon the ground.
As the weapon of the revolution is in my hand,
so my presence will be forced [upon Israel].”

Palestinian Media Watch has reported on PA TV’s promotion of this song numerous times. The PA plays it at events, broadcasts it in various versions on radio, TV, and social media.

This year, Abbas’ Fatah Movement played it at a rally, and it was part of a historical program in which mothers and their young daughters participated in PA TV’s reenactment of the old bus ride from Jerusalem to Amman, Jordan. While riding the bus, the mothers sang My Weapon Has Emergedwith their daughters. It was also broadcast on TV during the Coronavirus pandemic.

PMW originally exposed this song in 2010 when it featured in a dance performance as part of a PLO-sponsored cultural festival. PMW has since documented numerous times that this is a popular song among Palestinians. During the month of Fatah’s Seventh Conference in 2016, PMW reported that Fatah broadcast this violence promoting song at least 72 times on its TV station Awdah.