• PA awarded medal to Palestinian who helped victim of shooting in Austria

• Palestinian who helped Israeli terror victims received death threats, was fired, called “a traitor,” and had to flee the PA

The PA claims it is against terror everywhere. But there is one exception: When Palestinian terror targets Israelis.

Two similar incidents illustrate this.

When a Palestinian man recently helped a victim during a terror attack in Austria he was awarded a medal by PA Chairman Abbas, and everyone sang his praise.

But when another Palestinian and his wife helped Israeli terror victims who had been shot at in their car, the man received death threats, was fired, and was ostracized by Palestinian society.

Earlier this month, Osama Khaled Joudeh helped an Austrian police officer who was shot and wounded in the recent shooting attack in Vienna by an Islamist terrorist. PA Chairman Abbas reacted by awarding him a medal and praising him, while he emphasized that the Palestinian people as a whole “fights against terror”:

“The president expressed his appreciation for Joudeh’s courage, which served as an example for the young Palestinians who are defending the noble values and expressing our people’s opposition to all forms of terror. The president said: ‘You give us pride, and enable us to tell the world that this is the Palestinian people, which is fighting against terror and defending people. Therefore, we have decided to award you with a medal of honor as a sign of appreciation for your courage.’”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 5, 2020]

However, when a Palestinian man and his wife stopped and helped Jewish victims of a shooting attack, the man received death threats, was fired from his job, called “a traitor,” and had to flee the PA and start a new life in Israel.

In July 2016, Rabbi Miki Mark was shot and murdered while driving with his wife and two of their children near Hebron in the West Bank. Seeing their overturned car, an unnamed Palestinian and his wife stopped to help. They pulled Rabbi Mark’s wife and children from the car and treated their wounds, saving the life of Rabbi Mark’s wife, Chavi, who had been shot in the head, and waited with them until an ambulance arrived, protecting them in case the terrorists would return to hurt or kidnap them.

However, the PA didn’t award the rescuer a medal of honor or protect him, and Palestinian society didn’t welcome this act of humanity. On the contrary, the unnamed rescuer immediately began receiving threats, his house was shot at, he was fired from his job, and ostracized from Palestinian society as a “collaborator” and “traitor.” As a result he had to escape to Israel, leaving his wife and child behind in the PA.

In Israel he was at first given a temporary stay permit, but eventually the anonymous rescuer received permanent residency, a work permit, an apartment and was reunited with his wife and child who joined him in Israel. [Mako – Israeli TV Channel 12, July 11, 2019; The Jerusalem Post, July 19, 2019; The Times of Israel, Aug. 7, 2019]

The following is a longer excerpt of the Palestinian report cited above and an additional report on the PA’s reaction to the Palestinian who helped a terror victim in Austria:

Excerpt of an editorial by the official PA daily

Headline: “Osama Khaled Joudeh”
“Here is another young Palestinian – this time in Austria – shining with the light of Palestinian culture and its cultural and human ethics, which oppose violence and terror, while breaking into the scene of the terror attack that took place in the capital city Vienna and saving an Austrian police officer who was shot and wounded (refers to shooting attack in Vienna by an Islamist terrorist on Nov. 2, 2020, 4 murdered and 23 wounded –Ed.)…
This is young Osama Khaled Joudeh, with his Palestinian blood, whose chivalrous nature was not changed by emigrating [to Austria]…
Palestine consistently opposes terror through the vision, modus operandi, and policy of its wise leadership, and through the behavior and positions of its sons whoever they are, without hesitation and with courage that is lauded…
We have said it in the past and we will say it again: These are the Palestinians, protecting life and opposing terror everywhere. They… are the knights of the noble positions, who through these positions are unambiguously embodying the meaning of human brotherhood…
The world can view the medal that [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas awarded Osama yesterday [Nov. 4, 2020]… as a medal of the Palestinian national determination to establish this human culture and spread it as a living culture and as protection of life.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 5, 2020]

Headline: “The [PA] president speaks by phone with Joudeh: We have decided to award you with a medal of honor as a sign of recognition for your courage, you give us pride and enable us to tell the world that this is the Palestinian people, which is fighting against terror”
“Yesterday [Nov. 4, 2020, PA] President Mahmoud Abbas phoned young Osama Joudeh who helped save a wounded Austrian police officer at the scene of the attack, which was committed a few days ago (refers to shooting attack in Vienna by an Islamist terrorist on Nov. 2, 2020, 4 murdered and 23 wounded –Ed.).
The president expressed his appreciation for Joudeh’s courage, which served as an example for the young Palestinians who are defending the noble values and expressing our people’s opposition to all forms of terror.
The president said: ‘You give us pride, and enable us to tell the world that this is the Palestinian people, which is fighting against terror and defending people. Therefore, we have decided to award you with a medal of honor as a sign of appreciation for your courage.’”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 5, 2020]

Links to Israeli sources:
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/right-from-wrong-happy-ending-to-the-tragic-tale-of-a-palestinian-hero-596107
https://www.mako.co.il/news-military/security-q3_2019/Article-82815248ab2eb61027.htm
https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-who-saved-jewish-kids-after-terror-attack-gets-israeli-residency/

Reprinted with author’s permission from Palestinian Media Watch