Abbas’ advisor praises rock thrower: “May his hands be blessed”
PA: “Rocks frighten the Israelis” – praise for rock thrower
Palestinian rock throwing is lethal
The picture above of an older Palestinian man throwing a rock with a sling shot would almost be comical if rocks being thrown by Palestinians were just a game and not a lethal weapon with which Israelis have been murdered.
The PA claims rock throwing is "peaceful resistance," but in reality it is an act of terror and thousands of Israelis have been injured and some have been murdered by rocks thrown by Palestinians, among them, for example, these victims:
Asher Palmer (25) and his infant son Yonatan were murdered by a Palestinian who threw a rock at their car, making it overturn, killing them both in 2011.
Adele Biton (3) was driving with her mother and siblings in 2013, when Palestinians threw rocks at their car, causing Adele’s mother to lose control of the car, which crashed. Adele sustained severe head injuries and never recovered. She died in 2015.
Alexander Levlovitch (64) was murdered by Palestinian terrorists who threw rocks at his car and caused it to crash in 2015.
Israeli soldier Amit ben Yigal (21) was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist who threw a rock down on his head from a building in 2020.
By posting the picture of the middle-aged Palestinian rock thrower above, PA Chairman Abbas’ advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash encouraged this lethal means of “resistance” and added his praise too:
“May his hands be blessed”
[Facebook page of PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Jan. 8, 2021]
The rock thrower, Sa’id ‘Arma Abu Al-Abd, has become somewhat a celebrity in the PA, and was also interviewed on official PA TV. The PA TV reporter emphasized that Abu Al-Abd “restored the memory of the Intifada” – a wave of Palestinian violence and terror in which approximately 200 Israelis were murdered (1987-1993) – and stressed that Israelis are “frightened of rocks.” Abu Al-Abd himself took pride in his participation in violence, explaining that rock throwing is something that Palestinians pass on from generation to generation, and that even children do it:
Official PA TV reporter: “With his robe and his slingshot, here on this land, he has personified an image that has restored for us the memory of the Intifada. Abu Al-Abd… is proving that rocks really do frighten them (i.e., Israelis).”
Sa’id ‘Arma Abu Al-Abd: “Resistance is not limited by age, and I – if I can resist I resist, regardless of my age…
I was present in the first Intifada (i.e., Palestinian wave of violence and terror against Israel, approximately 200 Israelis murdered, 1987-1993), and I resisted with all my might and am still resisting to this day…
For us Palestinians one generation passes it on to [the next] generation… We all resist, the children resist, Allah willing, and this generation does not need an explanation – it knows what is required of it. It is standing against the enemy and defending its land.”[Official PA TV News, Jan. 6, 2021]
Palestinian Media Watch has documented that the PA and Fatah encourage Palestinians to throw rocks at Israelis and present rock throwing as permitted under international law.
Only last month, Fatah called on Palestinians to “strike for the homeland,” showing an image of a rock thrower:
[Official Fatah Facebook page, Dec. 10, 2020]
Fatah has even explained in detail to Palestinians how to best throw a rock:
Posted text: "In order to hit the target, there are three conditions:
1. Stand stably and balance your legs, arms, and body well
2. Focus your gaze on the center of the target, and do not look at anything else
3. Keep the desired balance between your body and your weapon; you are the one that controls the weapon, and not the other way around
If you did not understand this, read it again, and if you still have not understood, here is an example picture for you"[Official Fatah Twitter account, Dec. 16, 2017]
The PA maintains that rock throwing – and all other kinds of violence and terror against Israel - is allowed because international law has endorsed the use of "all possible means." PA leaders and officials often legitimize Palestinian violence and terror by quoting UN resolution 3236 which "recognizes the right of the Palestinian people to regain its rights by all means." (emphasis added.) The PA interprets "all means" as including violence and killing civilians, but has chosen to ignore the continuation of the resolution, which states that the use of "all means" should be "in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations..." The UN Charter prohibits targeting civilians, even in war. Chapter 1, Article 1, opens by saying that "international disputes" should be resolved "by peaceful means."
In 2015, Israel tightened its law against rock throwing following a rise in such attacks against Israeli civilians. The law (Penal Code 2015, section 332A) imposes up to 10 years imprisonment for throwing rocks at civilian vehicles and up to 20 years when intent to injure is proven. On Sept. 24, 2015, the Israeli Security Cabinet voted for additional measures against those who throw rocks and firebombs, including a minimum 4-year prison sentence for adults, imprisonment for minors aged 14-18, and fines for parents of younger minors.
The following is additional information on the Israeli murder victims mentioned above:
Asher Palmer and his infant son Yonatan – A 25-year-old father and his young son who were murdered by two Palestinian terrorists, Ali Sa’ada and Wa’al Al-Araja, who were members of a gang of stone-throwers. Al-Araja threw stones at Palmer’s car from a vehicle driven by Sa’ada, hitting Yonatan in the head and causing Palmer to lose control of his vehicle, which ran into a gulley, murdering both of them instantly near Kiryat Arba in the West Bank on Sept. 23, 2011. Sa'ada is serving 2 life sentences and an additional 50 years, and Al-Araja is serving 2 life sentences and an additional 58 years.
Adele Biton – a 3-year-old Israeli infant who was paralyzed and left unresponsive after Palestinian terrorists threw rocks at her family’s car as they drove near Ariel in the northern West Bank, striking her in the head and causing the car to crash on March 14, 2013. Biton never recovered and died of pneumonia that was a complication of her injuries when she was 4 years old on Feb. 17, 2015. Five Palestinian terrorists who threw the rocks were sentenced to 15 years each on Jan. 28, 2016.
Alexander Levlovich – a 64-year-old Israeli who was murdered by Palestinian terrorists who threw rocks at his car and caused it to crash as he drove in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood in southeast Jerusalem on Sept. 13, 2015, on the eve of Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year). Five Palestinian terrorists who threw the rocks were sentenced to 18 years, 15 years, 13.5 years, 9 years, and 3 years.
Amit Ben Yigal – Israeli soldier (21) who was murdered by Nazmi Abu Bakr, a Palestinian terrorist who murdered Ben Yigal by throwing a rock down on his head from a building in Ya’abad on May 12, 2020, while Ben Yigal was participating in an operation to arrest terror suspects. Abu Bakr was later arrested, confessed to the murder, and is still on trial as of Jan. 11, 2021.