Fatah promotes violence and Martyrdom-death to mark its 50th anniversary
Fatah promotes violence
and Martyrdom-death
to mark its 50th anniversary
and Martyrdom-death
to mark its 50th anniversary
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
On occasion of the 50th anniversary yesterday of "the Launch" of the Fatah movement in 1965 when the organization carried out its first terror attack against Israel by attempting to blow up the National Water Carrier, Fatah is still promoting violence as "legitimate resistance" and Martyrdom-death as an ideal to strive for.
During December, Fatah posted several items on its official Facebook page that either promote the use of arms to fight Israel or encourage Palestinians to seek death for Allah. One text compared Mecca with Jerusalem:
Posted text and text on image:
"If the ground of Mecca is for worship, the ground of Jerusalem is for Martyrdom-death (Shahada)."
"If the ground of Mecca is for worship, the ground of Jerusalem is for Martyrdom-death (Shahada)."
[Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page," Dec. 12, 2014]
Another text described Fatah as the movement that "has taught us to love the homeland, and to love to die for it":
Text on image: "We owe much to Fatah. It is looking at us with Yasser Arafat's eyes, and is revealed to us through his black keffiyeh (head dress), so that we may take shelter in its shadow and keep its revolutionary symbolism. O young [Palestinians], Fatah is calling you. It is the mother that bestowed on us all the tenderness, hope, honor, dignity and pride. It has taught us to love the homeland, and to love to die for it. It has taught us that the right can neither be taken [away] nor given."
[Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", Dec. 30, 2014]
Other posts glorified the rifle or advocated the use of weapons, as this post:
Posted text: "Take up your arms again, so that your enemy won't find rest"
[Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page",
Dec. 22, 2014]
Dec. 22, 2014]
A picture of a masked Fatah fighter holding a rocket also illustrated this message, with the text:
"We were created to resist - the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (Fatah's military wing) - Al-Asifa Army"
[Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page",
Dec. 30, 2014]
Dec. 30, 2014]
Another Fatah Facebook post contained a video in honor of Fatah's anniversary. This image, showing pictures of Arafat and PA Chairman Abbas, is a poster from the video displaying the text:
"Fatah will carry on the struggle in all its forms until the liberation of the land and the man."
[Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", Dec. 22, 2014]
Similarly, the following text emphasizes the ongoing "revolution": "Fatah - a revolution that never dies."
[Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", Dec. 23, 2014]
In October 2014, when Palestinians were rioting and carrying out terror attacks in Jerusalem, Fatah posted the following statement and image, also encouraging the use of violence:
Text on image: "Load the machine gun with bullets - the machine gun is the path to my salvation."[Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", Oct. 30, 2014]
At the time, Palestinian Media Watchdocumented many such statements and even direct promotion of terror attacks by Fatah, and PA leaders who called for "sacrifices and blood". Even PA Chairman Abbas implicitly encouraged violence when he told Palestinians to prevent "in any way" Jews from going to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Fatah has also used its anniversary to glorify past terror attacks. One Facebook post included a poster from the 5th anniversary of "the Launch" of Fatah, on Jan. 1, 1970, showing images of what appear to be terror attacks in various Israeli cities.
Fatah has also used its anniversary to glorify past terror attacks. One Facebook post included a poster from the 5th anniversary of "the Launch" of Fatah, on Jan. 1, 1970, showing images of what appear to be terror attacks in various Israeli cities. Posted text and on image: "Fateh everywhere; Lydda [Lod], Tel Aviv, Haifa, Eilat"
[Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", Dec. 29, 2014]