PA daily op-ed slams US envoy who criticized glorification of Abu Jihad exposed by PMW

Excerpt of an op-ed by Yahya Rabah, regular columnist for the official PA daily

Headline: “The buried deal and the ostracized administration”

“Why are you not satisfied, [US Envoy] Mr. Jason [Greenblatt]? Because the Palestinians are hanging pictures of Khalil Al-Wazir ‘Abu Jihad’ (i.e., terrorist, responsible for murder of 125) in their schools, institutes, and universities, in order to preserve his memory in their hearts and minds (refers to Greenblatt’s criticism of the PA honoring Abu Jihad, as exposed by PMW; see note below –Ed.)? According to the outlook of this envoy and member of [US President Donald] Trump’s administration, this contradicts the peace efforts.

Abu Jihad - Khalil Al-Wazir is the Prince of Martyrs and one of the greatest symbols of our people and our modern revolution. In the entire world – throughout the entire last century – there is no one from among those who have made the symbol of victory with their fingers who does not known him, who does not honor him, and who does not revere his role. He is the First Bullet and the First Stone. He is one of the symbols of our people and our nation. He is part of the heritage of identity and the heritage of Islamic and Christian faith. He is present among us like a light that is not extinguished and as one of the most prominent Martyrs, and he is hidden in the heart of the Quran: ‘And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision’ [Quran, Sura 3:169, Sahih International translation].

This Zionized American, from among the young people of Trump’s administration – does he understand these meanings? Or is he programmed in accordance with the awareness of his president, Trump? And did Jason Greenblatt expect that we would hang his picture on our schools, and that we would celebrate the anniversary of his stupidity in our cities, villages, and refugee camps?

But this is just a drop in the ocean in terms of the behavior of this American administration, which is failed, stunned, and helpless before the awareness, depth, courage, and resolve of our Palestinian leadership…

Trump and the young people of his administration have discovered that the Palestinian issue is deeper than they think over there. Even the deal of the century (i.e., Trump’s as yet unpublished Middle East peace plan), about which they have filled the world with noise, has died like a small bird that suffocated in their hands. Even President Trump’s son-in-law [US Senior Advisor Jared Kushner] has found nothing to say, and therefore he has preferred to remain silent, defeated.”

Responding to a PMW report on the PA Ministry of Education honoring arch-terrorist Khalil Al-Wazir “Abu Jihad,” US Envoy Jason Greenblatt wrote on his Twitter account on April 23, 2019: “Despicable glorification of violence and terrorism displayed at a Palestinian school w/ a painting of Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir). Palestinian students deserve to learn about respectable accomplishments of their community not this. https://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=27619”

Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir) - was a founder of Fatah and deputy to Yasser Arafat. He headed the PLO terror organization's military wing and also planned many deadly Fatah terror attacks in the 1960’s - 1980’s. These attacks, in which a total of 125 Israelis were murdered, included the most lethal in Israeli history - the hijacking of a bus and murder of 37 civilians, 12 of them children.