Human rights researcher criticizes PA media for encouraging child terrorists by presenting attackers as role models

Official PA TV program The Occupied Capital

(Visual: 14-year-old Muawiyah Alqam, stabbed one)

Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center researcher and fieldworker Nabil Abdallah: "When children [who attempt to carry out attacks] are presented here as heroes, particularly in our media, there are times when the child wants to imitate role models and heroes, and may decide [to carry out an attack] while unaware of the consequences... Our media needs to raise awareness and convey to the world that this child is a victim, not just a hero. [By calling him] "a hero" we are seriously taking part in destroying his childhood... This is a problem - we know how much the media influences... Children like Ali or Muawiyah [Alqam who stabbed an Israeli] need to live their lives."
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Muawiyah Alqam and Ali Alqam - 14-year-old and 11-year-old Palestinian terrorists and cousins who stabbed and wounded an Israeli security guard at a Jerusalem light rail stop in the Pisgat Ze’ev neighborhood, on Nov. 10, 2015. The security guard shot and wounded Muawiyah Alqam while Ali Alqam was held by train passengers until security forces arrived. In July 2016 Muawiyah Alqam was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, whereas Ali Alqam was given a year in juvenile detention due to his young age.