Palestinian TV channels lauded the vicious stabbing spree in Jaffa on Tuesday, which left one American citizen dead and ten others wounded, five critically.
The attacks came just hours after US Vice President Joe Biden landed in Israel as part of his Middle East tour, meeting with the leaders of several countries in the region. During the much-anticipated press conference between Biden and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, the two leaders strongly condemned the attack and criticized PA President Mahmoud Abbas for his silence.
Said Biden, “Let me say in no uncertain terms: The United States of America condemns these acts and condemns the failure to condemn these acts. This cannot become an accepted modus operandi.”
Netanyahu thanked Biden for his condemnation but continued his own criticism against Abbas by holding the PA president responsible for inciting further Palestinian terrorism in Israel by failing to denounce the attacks. “Unfortunately, President Abbas has not only refused to condemn these terrorist attacks, his Fatah party actually praised the murderer of this American citizen as a martyr and a Palestinian hero,” he said.
Indeed, in a visual statement of admiration towards the terrorist, the Fatah party posted on its official Facebook page an illustration of an arm holding a knife held over a drawing of Israel. Written in Arabic, the message on the arm reads “The Heroic Martyr” and in the outline of Israel is written the terrorist’s name: Bashar Masalha.
US/Western-backed #Fatah celebrates murder of US tourist; terrorist is “heroic Martyr”: https://t.co/rnXS2uVtEj pic.twitter.com/8mydU69RCp
— Emet News Service (@EmetNews) March 9, 2016
Palestinian TV also openly praised the attack in Jaffa, calling Masalha, a 22-year-old Israeli Arab from Qalqilya, a “martyr” who carried out “a complex operation.”
In her report of the stabbing, which was translated and published by Palestinian Media Watch, the Palestinian correspondent at the scene called the victims “settlers,” a term which usually refers to Israelis who live in Judea and Samaria, collectively named the West Bank. However, Tuesday’s stabbing attack occurred at the Jaffa Port, just minutes away from the bustling city of Tel Aviv – at least 60 kilometers from the West Bank, and firmly within the world-recognized “borders” of Israel.
Several of the victims were not even Jewish, let alone Israeli, giving the lie to the “settler” claim. One such victim who sadly succumbed to his wounds was American tourist Taylor Force, a graduate student at Vanderbilt who was visiting Israel with his wife. Two of the victims were even Arabs themselves. However, facts have never seemed to get in the way of Palestinian incitement to terror.
Hamas, the terrorist group which runs the Gaza Strip, also jumped in. Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said, “Hamas congratulates the three heroic operations this evening, in [Petach Tikva], Jerusalem, and Jaffa, and considers this proof of the failure for all these theories to abort the intifada, which will continue until the realization of its goals.”
In further praise of the mission of the terrorist group, Zuhri continued, “Hamas celebrates the martyrs that have ascended through these operations, and confirms that their pure blood will, God willing, be the fuel for escalating the intifada.”
In a meeting between Abbas and Biden which took place on Wednesday evening, Abbas finally acknowledged the attack, a full 24 hours after the fact, offering condolences to the vice president for Force’s death. However, refused to actually condemn it, saying that Israel has killed over 200 Palestinians since October, according to a statement from the PA to reporters. Abbas’ newest refusal to condemn is only the latest in his ongoing appreciation for the current wave of terror.
This justification to murder is at the center of Palestinian incitement to terror. Daily calls for actions similar to that which was carried out in Jaffa are endlessly spread throughout Palestinian media, often directed at children. Recently, the Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin) announced its plans to sue Palestinian TV networks for its blatant incitement surrounded by outright lies about Israel and the Jewish people.
The overwhelming Arab strength in Israel as the wave of terror continues is prophetic fulfillment, according to Rabbi Yechiel Weitzman, author of The Ishmaelite Exile. In his book, Weitzman quotes Rabbi Chaim Vital, a 16th century mystical rabbi and writer who taught, “Ishmael is destined to rule over the world and over Israel at the End of Days.”
Despite the seemingly bleak perspective, Weitzman reassures his reader, quoting the 14th century sage Rabbi Jacob ben Asher, also known as Ba’al HaTurim, who predicted, “[W]hen Ishmael will fall at the End of Days, the son of David will rise.”
