PA head Abbas. (AP/Majdi Mohammed)
As Israel mourns the loss of so many precious lives, the Palestinian Authority celebrates death and destruction.
Israel has begun its annual Memorial Day for the fallen IDF soldiers and victims of terrorism.
Sirens wailed Tuesday night across Israel, bringing the country to a standstill. Israelis stopped in their tracks at 8 p.m. and stood silently for a moment to honor and remember the fallen. The main memorial ceremony was held at Jerusalem’s Western Wall.
As Israel mourns 2,538 dead, including 31 who were killed by Palestinian terrorists over the past year, Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) reports that 14 terrorists who murdered more than 160 innocent people were honored this month by the Palestinian Authority (PA), four of them personally by PA head Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas cited “the first Martyr,” “the first [male] prisoner” and “the first female fighter prisoner,” all of whom he awarded with “decorations of military honor, in admiration of their militant pioneering role.”
He also honored arch-terrorist Abu Jihad, whom the PA credits with orchestrating attacks that claimed 125 lives. Abbas, the patron of a rally held in Abu Jihad’s honor, expressed “pride” in Abu Jihad “for his significant national role.”
These events were openly reported on in the PA’s official daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida.
Following are some of the terrorists honored or presented as role models by the PA or Fatah, its ruling party, this month:
| Name of terrorist | Dalal Mughrabi |
| Crime description | Led most lethal terror attack in Israel’s history, known as the Coastal Road massacre, in 1978, when she and other Fatah terrorists hijacked a bus killing 37 civilians, 12 of them children, and wounding over 70. |
| No. killed | 37 |
| Means of honor | Presented as role model for university students on Fatah’s official Facebook page. Fatah called “to renew the promise and the oath to the Martyr leaders.” |
| Name of terrorist | Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir) |
| Crime description | Head of the PLO terror organization’s military wing, planned numerous lethal terror attacks, including the bus hijacking that killed 37. |
| No. killed | 125 |
| Means of honor | – Two documentaries about him were broadcast on PA TV.- Fatah’s Jerusalem branch held a table tennis tournament named after him.- He was presented as role model for university students on Fatah’s official Facebook page. Fatah called “to renew the promise and the oath to the Martyr leaders.” |
| Name of terrorist | Salah Khalaf (Abu Iyad) |
| Crime description | One of the founders of Fatah and head of the terror organization Black September. Attacks he planned include the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics (1972) and the murder of two American diplomats in Sudan (1973). |
| No. killed | 13 |
| Means of honor | Presented as role model for university students on Fatah’s official Facebook page. Fatah called “to renew the promise and the oath to the Martyr leaders.” |
| Name of terrorist | Andalib Takatka |
| Crime description | Female suicide bomber from Fatah who blew herself up on Jaffa Road in Jerusalem in 2002, killing 6 and wounding more than 80. |
| No. killed | 6 |
| Means of honor | Presented as role model for university students on Fatah’s official Facebook page. Fatah called “to renew the promise and the oath to the Martyr leaders.” |
| Name of terrorist | Wafa Idris |
| Crime description | First Palestinian female suicide bomber (2002). As a volunteer for the Palestinian Red Crescent she was able to bypass Israeli security and enter Jerusalem in a Palestinian ambulance. |
| No. killed | 1 |
| Means of honor | Presented as role model for university students on Fatah’s official Facebook page. Fatah called “to renew the promise and the oath to the Martyr leaders.” |
| Name of terrorist | Raed Al-Karmi |
| Crime description | A senior Tanzim (Fatah terror faction) operative responsible for the murder of 9 Israelis in several attacks. |
| No. killed | 9 |
| Means of honor | Presented as role model for university students on Fatah’s official Facebook page. Fatah called “to renew the promise and the oath to the Martyr leaders.” |
| Name of terrorist | Marwan Zalum |
| Crime description | Commander of the Hebron branch of the Tanzim (Fatah terror faction). Responsible for several terror attacks, including sending the terrorist who shot and murdered infant Shalhevet Pass in her stroller in 2001 and provided bomb used in suicide attack in 2002. |
| No. killed | 9 |
| Means of honor | Presented as role model for university students on Fatah’s official Facebook page. Fatah called “to renew the promise and the oath to the Martyr leaders.” |
| Name of terrorist | Hussein Abayat |
| Crime description | Commander of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in the West Bank. He was involved in shooting attacks. |
| No. killed | 1 |
| Means of honor | Presented as role model for university students on Fatah’s official Facebook page. Fatah called “to renew the promise and the oath to the Martyr leaders.” |
| Name of terrorist | Ramzi Khamis Barrash |
| Crime description | Participated in the shooting and murder of an Israeli. |
| No. killed | 1 |
| Means of honor | Governor of Rammallah Laila Ghannam visited his family. |
| Name of terrorist | Muhammad Khamis Barrash |
| Crime description | Participated in the shooting and murder of Israelis. |
| No. killed | 3 |
| Means of honor | Governor of Rammallah Laila Ghannam visited his family. |
| Name of terrorist | Diya Zakariya Shaker Al-Agha “Al-Faluji” |
| Crime description | Serving a life sentence for beating Israeli to death with a shovel (1992). |
| No. killed | 1 |
| Means of honor | – PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs director Issa Karake visited his home.- His mother appeared on PA TV. The host referred to Agha as “a fighter” and called his terror attack “the heroic operation.” |
| Name of terrorist | Fatima Barnawi |
| Crime description | Placed a bomb in a movie theater in Jerusalem in 1967. |
| No. killed | 0 |
| Means of honor | Honored by PA Chairman Abbas. |
| Name of terrorist | Ahmad Musa Salameh |
| Crime description | Participated in first PLO terror attack against Israel in 1965. |
| No. killed | 0 |
| Means of honor | Honored by PA Chairman Abbas. |
| Name of terrorist | Mahmoud Hijazi |
| Crime description | Involved in an attempted bombing attack in 1965. |
| No. killed | 0 |
| Means of honor | Honored by PA Chairman Abbas. |
