Palestinian Authority: Honoring mass murder of children
posted at 8:35 am on March 10, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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The Palestinian Authority supposedly qualifies as a partner for peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but in fact promotes and lionizes terrorists. What other conclusion can come from an official state-funded newspaper putting a picture of Alaa Abu Dheim on their front page with the honorific “Shahid” (Martyr)? Abu Dheim won this title by gunning down unarmed high-school students in a hail of hundreds of bullets:
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s official daily newspaper has honored the terrorist who gunned down eight high school students at point blank range with the status of shahid, or holy Islamic martyr.
The March 8th edition of the official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida prominently placed a picture of the terrorist on the front page, with the caption, “The Shahid Alaa Abu Dheim.” In a page one article on the massacre at the Mercaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva, his crime was again defined as an act of martyrdom (shahada).
Can one imagine a politician in the US hailing Seung-Hui Cho as a martyr? What would the Western press say about a Marine or a soldier in Iraq if he deliberately shot eight high-school students? They’d tear him to pieces; if his picture appeared at all, it wouldn’t have any honorifics preceding or following it.
Jim at Gateway Pundit says, “Someone really should show this to Condoleezza Rice.” My friend Scott Johnson at Power Line wonders whether President Bush understands that the money the US sends to Mahmoud Abbas winds up supporting terrorism instead of fighting it. Given that the funds for this publication come from the same organization we subsidize, it’s a fair question. Is this what our money buys — a celebration of the mass murder of children?
We have tried to bargain with Palestinian terrorists for decades. They have reciprocated by aligning themselves with Iran in some cases and continuing their terrorism independently in others. The US has gotten pressed into this position by its European allies, which continue to see Israel as the problem. We need to show them this newspaper and announce that we will pull all support for Abbas and instead fortify the Israelis in order for them to conduct the war that Abbas and Hamas apparently want so badly. That’s infinitely preferable to giving even one cent in support to officials who celebrate the likes of Abu Dheim.
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It’s so simple. They are savage animals.
mustang1 on March 10, 2008 at 8:41 AM
“Well, after Abu Ghriab, who are we to talk?” That’s what we’re up against, so you have to just not give in. MIchelle: That’s how The New Yorker should be spoken to, and thank you for speaking.
mymanpotsandpans on March 10, 2008 at 8:46 AM
Great post, Ed–spot on. This is sickening.
robblefarian on March 10, 2008 at 8:47 AM
Oh yeah we can really work with these guys and it is a great idea to force Israel to sit down at the table with them–NOT!!
USBB on March 10, 2008 at 9:48 AM
Non-Muslim children are only good for molesting (Mo-ham-med was a child molester) or killing, right?
jgapinoy on March 10, 2008 at 9:48 AM
“They are savage animals.”
Palestinian terrorists aren’t even animals. They are maggots.
The IDF should be given the green light to carpet bomb all of Gaza, with the full support of the United States. The Palestinians elected Hamas and thus endorsed all-out war.
They shall reap what they sow. A bad peace is worse than a good war. Give them a good war and wipe the “palestinians” out.
NoDonkey on March 10, 2008 at 9:49 AM
the real question is, who do WE talk to in our country to end the funding of the palistinian terrorist?
Time to send those letters to congress again.
Wyrd on March 10, 2008 at 9:49 AM
Good, Israel now has a picture of this SOB so that they can shoot him on sight.
pilamaye on March 10, 2008 at 9:51 AM
I wish we would. This is disgusting.
4shoes on March 10, 2008 at 9:54 AM
With every story like this, I lose what little compunction I have against seeing every last living Palestinian who draws breath eradicated, including their pets. And then their homes leveled. And walls built to keep further murderous animals out of Israel.
And after that, if needs be, the next Islamic s@#$hole country.
Decades of behavior otherwise has yielded naught but stronger Islamists and more dead innocents.
Actually, I may be there now. Kill them all and be done with it once and for all.
“Oh, but there are innocents among them, too.”
No there aren’t. If they’re not actively murdering or plotting murder, they’re dancing in the streets when these murders are accomplished.
I’m 44 years old, and this has been going on longer than I remember. Doing the same attempts to get them to think and behave like civilized humans instead of bloodthirsty animals will only yield more of the same - decades of war and innocents butchered.
End. It. Now. Get it over with.
Midas on March 10, 2008 at 9:55 AM
I was thinking the palestinians should have been wiped out a long time ago.
4shoes on March 10, 2008 at 9:57 AM
Uh, I’m just guessing here, without reading the Palestinian article, but I’m thinking if they’re referring to him as a martyr, then he already has been shot. Hopefully, shot repeatedly.
Frozen Tex on March 10, 2008 at 9:57 AM
If I’m not mistaken, he was killed already; is he not the ‘hero’ that shot down the religious students last week and was killed in the process?
Midas on March 10, 2008 at 9:57 AM
Damn. Is that Derek Jeter?
mikeyboss on March 10, 2008 at 9:58 AM
Palestinians are so evil the Arab nations don’t really recognize their existence. Palestinians survive for only one reason…..to humor the other Arabs by being a constant irritant to Israel.
volsense on March 10, 2008 at 9:58 AM
pilamaye, he’s dead, that’s why he’s a martyr. The martyr is celebrated in Islam and ‘Palestine’ (again not really a place but a word made up by the media).
I’ve given up wondering why people don’t support Israel a long time ago. Palestinians don’t want peace. They demonize Israelis every chance they get. As early an age as they can teach their kids, they teach them to hate Israel.
Seriously, as soon as they say ‘dada’ and ‘mama’ they are taught to say ‘death to Israel’.
There is no need. . . ZERO need to address these people unless they join the modern world to try to improve the situation of society rather than destroy what others have built.
ThackerAgency on March 10, 2008 at 9:58 AM
I have no doubt Condi and Olmert are fully aware of Abbas’ Fatah doubletalk just as Clinton and Rabin were aware of Arafat’s doubletalk. They just don’t care for moral justice, they care about “peace process” that gives them the world’s approval.
There are no leaders today, just slimy politicians who are more disguasting than the terrorists themselves. At least the terrorists have some kind of (twisted and sick) ideology - the politicians have none. They will sell their own children to cannibals for political profit. Such evil bastards make me think Yigal Amir was right.
Aristotle on March 10, 2008 at 10:04 AM
There’s still time.
Seriously though, I believe most world leaders do realize how anti-peace Palestine really is, but it is so unfashionable to side with good that no one mentions it.
Grafted on March 10, 2008 at 10:04 AM
Oh, but this is the religion of PEACE!!! What a bunch of garbage!!!!!! NUKE ‘EM ALL!!! Let God sort ‘em out!!!
Vntnrse on March 10, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Actually, I think it was a name made up by the Romans to insult the Jews.
Frozen Tex on March 10, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Wow. I didn’t know he was muslim. Alex I knew about. I learn something new on this site every day.
JiangxiDad on March 10, 2008 at 10:17 AM
There may be fewer innocents in Gaza or the West Bank than in many other places, but there are some. To advocate the mass-killing of all Palestinians because of the sins of some of them is immoral and grossly unfair. Being wrong and offensive is not, as far as I know, a capital crime in America–which is all that many in Gaza are guilty of. If it were, there’d be some serious killing to do right here in the states before we started eradicating any foreign populations.
Let’s limit our nuking to those guilty of something more than being obnoxious.
Immolate on March 10, 2008 at 10:22 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_Palestine_and_Palestinian
ronsfi on March 10, 2008 at 10:22 AM
I wonder if there is a photo session before you become a ‘martyr’. Either that, or this guy needs to fire his publicist. What a way to die - forever remembered as the awkward looking muslim that had to be shot to get him to stop killing children.
blankminde on March 10, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Um, we are talking about a man who is now touted as a martyr for killing innocent children. I personally think that qualifies as being guilty of something a bit more than obnoxious.
4shoes on March 10, 2008 at 10:27 AM
That is 1/2 the story. If Israel’s or our demise comes about as a result of the actions of the guilty on the other side, are their innocents still innocent?? What responsibility do their innocents have to stop their own leaders from waging perpetual terrorism? Why not just refer to Dresden or Nagasaki or Hiroshima or other such examples from the past and draw your conclusions. Let’s not re-invent special rules of morality just for jews in Israel.
JiangxiDad on March 10, 2008 at 10:28 AM
“There may be fewer innocents in Gaza or the West Bank than in many other places, but there are some. To advocate the mass-killing of all Palestinians because of the sins of some of them is immoral and grossly unfair.”
Well that’s just hard cheese for them.
I have two words for the moderates in “palestine” - Dresden/Hiroshima.
There were some innocents there as well.
If our current bunch of “peacefuls” had been in charge then, we’d still be fighting Nazis and Shinto-ists.
NoDonkey on March 10, 2008 at 10:33 AM
As Ozzy Osbourne said in a song “Thank God For The Bomb”. It needs to be used.
RWLA on March 10, 2008 at 10:39 AM
Can one imagine a politician in the US hailing Seung-Hui Cho as a martyr?
Haven’t you ever seen a Chi T-shirt? He used to love killing 12-year-olds… In 10 years I can see Cho T-shirts being chic….
CrazyFool on March 10, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Of course, it’s crazy that we are subsidizing Palestine. It’s crazier still that we are talking about supporting a Palestinian state which would only empower the Palestinians to perpetrate more crimes with more resources and more legitimacy.
Israel is never gonna cut a deal with the Palestinians because Palestinians don’t want what’s fair, they want everything the Israelis got, including their lives.
More and more, it looks like the Israelis need to do the Palestinians in before they are done in. There is no reasoning with these people.
Tantor on March 10, 2008 at 10:48 AM
There was a time when covert activities nipped this problem in the bud.
That was far more effective, and less costly, in dollars and lives.
fogw on March 10, 2008 at 10:59 AM
I’m sick and tired of all this “innocents” nonsense! They also serve who only dance and cheer!
OldEnglish on March 10, 2008 at 11:02 AM
JiangxiDad, if I understood your post, you say both sides have innocents. You, and many others, fail to realize that cultural diversity exists.
Some cultures, ours and Israel’s, mourn killing and the loss of life. We do what we can to minimize collateral damage. In some cultures the concept of an “innocent” or the idea that taking a life is solemn do not exist.
The peace process assumes that both sides are reasonable people that want to aviod conflict and ensure rights. We can see how far this cultural assumption errs by reading the caption under the PA’s official newspaper’s photo. You cannot fix the problem when you are unaware of what it is.
http://www.culturism.us
culturism on March 10, 2008 at 11:24 AM
It is the very essence of obnoxious, and when a government (or quasi-government) is guilty of such moral intransigence, there should be consequences to that government and thereby to the people who enable it. I disagree, however, that the penalty should be eradication.
I am a strong supporter of Israel for personal, moral and religious reasons. I share the outrage that most of you feel because of this insane act perpetrated against the Israelis, and your outrage at the celebration of it by the Palestinian government and the Palestinian people. If Israel decides to take action to bring anyone involved to justice, or to take any rational steps to protect themselves, I will continue to support them.
I agree that the examples of Dresden and Hiroshima/Nagasaki are thought-provoking, there are real and stark differences. Probably the most important of those is the fact that Gaza and the West Bank do not constitute a serious military threat to Israel or anyone else (other than themselves). That is small consolation to those whose loved ones are killed or injured, I know. I also know that Hamas has claimed responsibility for the act, and if that proved to be true, and to the extent that Hamas can be considered a government, the people of Gaza can and should be held responsible for their governments acts. But this particular outrage (the magazine cover) wasn’t perpetrated by Hamas.
Immolate on March 10, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Culturism: I agree with everything you said, but will take it to the logical next step: our cultures do mourn loss of life, and therefore we will not and should not kill indiscriminately. We should place a higher value on our own countrymen than we place on others–I agree with that. The fact that those in question do not share our values doesn’t mean that their lives are without worth.
Immolate on March 10, 2008 at 11:49 AM
It’s quite a bit over-the-top to talk of mass punishments, but I can’t see why every Hamas leader, Hamas office, Hamas rally, or generally any idiot toting a Hamas flag, shouldn’t be a target. I mean, unless it gets to the point where people are being forcefully wrapped in Hamas flags as a twisted form of execution. They’ve been designated as terrorists, shouldn’t that mean something?
cthulhu on March 10, 2008 at 12:02 PM
“there are many religions in the world, but only one religion of peace”!!!!
pueblo1032 on March 10, 2008 at 12:36 PM
It’s obvious, but the fact that this mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging moron shot 8 JEWISH students needs to be mentioned. I had to click on the link to find it.
This is just what we’ve come to expect from these cowardly worms and the fact that we help to finance their terrorist acts just makes me sick.
Maybe BO would say: ‘Bring them all to ‘the US’ so we can convert them to Tolerance, Pacifism and Political Correctness!’
Christine on March 10, 2008 at 12:44 PM
And it will only get worse. The average age in the “territories” is around 15, a majority male and uneducated. They are being raised to be horny, ignorant monsters whose only hope for any kind of satisfactory existance is in death. We should not subsidize them, we should accomodate them.
peacenprosperity on March 10, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Ahah! Finally found a place where this fits!
Socratease on March 10, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Ed says that the “US has gotten pressed into this position by its European allies, which continue to see Israel as the problem.” That’s true as far as it goes, but I wouldn’t exaggerate the Europeans’ influence. The effective pressure on the U.S. to devote disproportionate attention to the plight of the “Palestinians” is coming from the Saudis and our other Arab “allies” whose cooperation is required on other issues and whose influence is also derived from $107 per barrel oil. Many of the incredible statements and absurd initiatives regarding the “peace process” made by Bush and Condi derive from this dynamic. The sad result is that the Bush Doctrine has been effectively scrapped and Condoleeza is doing a remarkably convincing imitation of Madeleine Albright circa 2000. Pathetic.
Travis Bickle on March 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM
From a quick check of the Al-Hayat Al-Jadida archives, lo and behold:
“The Shahid Alla Heydrich and Himmler, for their shahada acts of exterminating infidel fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, boys and girls in the liberation camps of Auschwitz, Treblinka, Sobibor, Buchenwald, Dachau, and Bergen-Belsen, et al.
Congratulations, Gentlemen, the religion of peace commends your altruistic acts of gentleness and love, with persistence.”
OhEssYouCowboys on March 10, 2008 at 2:45 PM
I can hear Arafat’s widow exclaiming, “I have more shoes than Emelda…I have more shoes than Emelda…nah..nah…!”
I have been saying for years that we need to cut off the funding as they don’t use it to make a better life for themselves but instead use the money to line their own pockets (like Arafat did) to fund murder against innocent Israeli’s, to fund terrorism, and to fund its war against the west.
What is even more disgusting is we continue to send them money after these “peace loving” savages celebrated in the streets on 9-11, it literally makes me want to vomit knowing some of the money I pay in taxes go to these murderers! Seriously, after their celebration on 9-11 these pathetic excuses for humans should not have received one damn penny of our money, EVER AGAIN!
Liberty or Death on March 10, 2008 at 2:50 PM
Actually, I thought he looked like Jerry Seinfeld with a suntan…
Shirotayama on March 10, 2008 at 2:50 PM
No the outrageous magazine article wasn’t perpetrated by Hamas but the murder of innocent high school students was perpetrated by Hamas and much like the Japanese and German civilians suffered due to their governments hostile acts during WWII then so should the Hamas “government” and its people that support and elect such a vile and violent “government.”
You reap what you sow…
Liberty or Death on March 10, 2008 at 2:58 PM
There is a law which forbids US funds going to groups which advocate for terror. Given that the PA is very publicly praising this terrorist and that their members are advocating for terrorist attacks against US troops in Iraq and indoctrinating their children in the same in their schoolbooks, it seems pretty clear that all future US aid to Fatah should be cancelled.
For that to happen though a lot of people in Washington will have to admit that they were dead wrong about Fatah being moderates.
Jay Mac on March 10, 2008 at 6:50 PM
I’d be shocked except news like this no longer surprises me.
Hell, it’s borderline expected which is part of the reason the Palestinians and other Muslim groups are seemingly given a pass when this stuff happens.
Yakko77 on March 10, 2008 at 7:43 PM