PA and Fatah honor terrorists with huge billboard, including one serving 10 life sentences

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik | May 25, 2018

PA and Fatah honor terrorists with huge billboard,

including one serving 10 life sentences

for recruiting suicide bomber who murdered 8

Commissioner of Prisoners' Affairs: Billboard is
"support, stand, and aid for the fighting prisoners who fought and sacrificed for Palestine"

Since the day of his arrest, the PA has paid terrorist Izz Al-Din Hamamrah a monthly salary, which by now totals $155,909 (540,600 shekels)

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

The Palestinian Authority and Abbas' Fatah have come up with yet a new way to honor terrorist prisoners. A huge billboard with numerous photos of so-called "fighting prisoners" was inaugurated in the town of Husan, west of Bethlehem.

PA TV News said the billboard immortalizes 17 prisoners who are serving long sentences. Among the prisoners on the billboard is terrorist Izz Al-Din Hamamrah, who is serving 10 life sentences for recruiting a suicide bomber who murdered 8.

The billboard was inaugurated at an event in which the head of the PLO Commission of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake participated as well as the prisoners' parents, local school students, and a scouts group. Karake stated that the billboard is a sign of the "support for the prisoners":

Karake: "These [activities] are a kind of support, stand, and aid for the fighting prisoners who fought and sacrificed for Palestine. We say that the prisoners' cause is a central and main cause, and it is the criterion for any just peace in the region."

[Official PA TV News, April 24, 2018]

Under Palestinian Authority law, the PA pays every terrorist prisoner a monthly salary. Since 2000, the PA has raised the monthly salaries a number of times. Currently, every prisoner's salary starts at 1,400 shekels/month and increases every few years, reaching as high as 12,000 shekels/month after 30 years. Until now, terrorist Izz Al-Din Hamamrah has received 540,600 shekels($155,909) in reward for his crimes from the PA. His current salary is 6,000 shekels/month ($1,730).

The following chart shows the monthly salaries in effect since January 2011.

Palestinian Media Watch has reported on the PA's policy of teaching students to honor terrorists by naming schools after them. PA scouts also glorified terrorists when they held a course for scout leaders named after a murderer of 3.

The new billboard consists of two parts with photos of the prisoners. Black text on upper part of billboard lists organizations that organized and sponsored the event:

"The [PLO] Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners' Affairs

The Association of Prisoners and Released Prisoners

The [PA-funded] Palestinian Prisoners' Club

The Fatah Movement"

The background of the bottom part features the Fatah logo that includes a grenade, crossed rifles, and the PA map of "Palestine" that presents all of Israel as "Palestine" together with the PA areas.

Yellow text in center of lower part of billboard:

"The Palestinian National Liberation Movement - Fatah

Bethlehem District

Husan Organizational Region"

Izz Al-Din Khaled Hamamrah - Palestinian terrorist and Tanzim (Fatah terror faction) member who recruited 23-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber Muhammad Za'oul, who carried out the suicide bombing of bus no. 14 in Jerusalem on Feb. 22, 2004, in which 8 were murdered and dozens injured. Hamamrah was also involved in shooting attacks in the area of Bethlehem at the end of 2003 and in February 2004. Hamamrah is serving 10 life sentences.

PMW has been unable to ascertain the crimes of the other prisoners.