Activists paint wall painting of Abu Jihad in response to US envoy’s criticism of terror glorification

Headline: “In response to Greenblatt’s statements – a wall painting in Bethlehem for Martyr Abu Jihad”

“Activists painted a large wall painting of Martyr Khalil Al-Wazir ‘Abu Jihad’ (i.e., terrorist, responsible for murder of 125) at the entrance to the Aida refugee camp in the Bethlehem district, in response to the statements of American Middle East Envoy Jason Greenblatt in which he attacked Martyr Khalil ‘Abu Jihad’ (refers to Greenblatt’s criticism of the PA honoring Abu Jihad, as exposed by PMW; see note below –Ed.).

Head of the Supreme Coordinating Committee to Resist Settlements and the Wall Mundhir Umaira said: ‘This wall painting bears a message that emphasizes that the Palestinian people is proud of its Martyrs and supports them, and prime among them Prince of Martyrs Khalil Al-Wazir.’

Umaira emphasized that Greenblatt’s statements are not aggressive towards Martyr Abu Jihad alone, but rather towards the Palestinian people and its national rights.

He pointed out that Greenblatt does not recognize the meaning of struggle and sacrifice for the homeland, and does not know the meaning of being a revolutionary against tyranny and oppression like Martyr Khalil Al-Wazir…

Fatah Secretary at the Aida camp Muhammad Lutfi said that the painting of Martyr ‘Abu Jihad’ Khalil Al-Wazir expresses the rejection by all parts of the Palestinian people of the American-Zionist actions, as he noted that it is not strange that this racist administration that belittles all of the international agreements and conventions… attacks a national, revolutionary, Palestinian, and international symbol like Martyr Abu Jihad.

Lutfi emphasized that this wall painting carries several messages, the most important of which is that it is painted alongside the gate and key of return to emphasize that the Martyrs’ sacrifice for the legitimate Palestinian national rights – and prime among them the right of return – will not be in vain.”

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 Coastal Road attack that (until Oct. 7, 2023) was the most lethal in Israeli history - the hijacking of a bus and murder of 37 civilians, 12 of them children.