Trample the US flag – and get rewarded with US money!
During the recent violent Arab riots in Jerusalem and mixed Jewish-Arab cities, and Hamas’ launching of thousands of rockets against Israel from the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Culture released a song against “normalization” with Israel. Part of the music video shows different people marching in protest and stomping on the US and Israeli flags.
A week later, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the US would “provide $75 million for development assistance, in addition to $5 million in immediate disaster assistance for Gaza, and another $32 million for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA).” [Wafa, official PA news agency, English edition, May 25, 2021] Moreover, Blinken presented the PA with yet another gift. At his meeting with Abbas in Ramallah last week, Blinken announced that the US is going to reopen its consulate general in East Jerusalem. Fatah Central committee member Hussein Al-Sheikh explained that this is understood by Palestinians as an endorsement of the viewpoint that East Jerusalem is “occupied” by Israel:
“Speaking to Voice of Palestine radio, al-Sheikh stated that the decision announced by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, that his country will go ahead with reopening its consulate in the occupied city of East Jerusalem is “deemed the most important decision taken by the new US administration” and “sends a clear message that East Jerusalem is part of the territories that Israel has been [occupying] since 1967”
[Wafa, official PA news agency, English edition, May 26, 2021]
Yesterday, Palestinian Media Watch reported that the PA has mocked and violated US conditions for funding, having held "80 meetings" with the International Criminal Court (ICC) initiating and promoting the investigation of Israel for alleged crimes against Palestinians. According to US law, such cooperation between the PA and the ICC makes the PA ineligible for US funding from the Economic Support Fund (ESF). PMW has documented that the PA’s fundamental demonization of the United States, and dissemination of hatred of the US among its people since the PA’s inception, has not impacted on US aid, during most US administrations.
The following are the pictures of people trampling the flags. The image on top states that the music video was produced by the PA Ministry of Culture. The music video was also posted on the YouTube channel of the PA Ministry of Culture:
The words being sung while the American flag is being trampled are:
“This is the declaration of the nation, you must hear it
Our history will have no mercy on those who normalized [relations with Israel]”
(People are seen stomping on Israeli and American flags -Ed.)[YouTube channel of the PA Ministry of Culture, May 15, 2021]