Palestinian post-war calls for “escalating the intifada,” Fatah, PFLP, and other PLO factions call for continued intifada and escalation
Fatah: “The intifada continues”
PFLP: “Turn tomorrow into a day of escalating the intifada activity… we must… wage a comprehensive battle of confrontation throughout the occupied land”
The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces called for “a day of popular rage”
PA deputy mayor: “The beautiful words that we all repeat together: ‘Millions of Martyrs are marching to Jerusalem’”
Days after a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas (May 21.), Fatah and several PLO factions continued to call for “intifada” – the name Palestinians have used for the PA’s past terror campaigns against Israeli civilians.
Abbas’ Fatah posted the image above of a rioter throwing a rock with a slingshot on the background of flames and the Dome of the Rock, with text encouraging more violence:
Text on image: “The intifada continues
#Save_the_Sheikh_Jarrah_neighborhood [of Jerusalem]
#Al-Aqsa_is_rising_up”[Facebook page of the Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, May 24, 2021]
The terror organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) – which is a member of the PLO – called for more violence and “a day of escalating the intifada activity”:
“The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) called to turn tomorrow, Friday [May 28, 2021], into a day of escalating the intifada activity and the open confrontation against the occupation in the friction areas, the military checkpoints, and the settlements… The PFLP said that we must continue the open confrontation against the occupation soldiers and the settler herds and wage a comprehensive battle of confrontation throughout the occupied land.”
[Donia Al-Watan, independent Palestinian news agency, May 27, 2021]
Likewise, the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces - a coordinating body comprised of representatives from factions in the PLO and outside of it that was formed in 2000 to coordinate terror during the “second intifada” -– called to continue the violent riots in “a day of popular rage” to “expand the confrontations.” This call was published by the official PA daily:
“The [Palestinian] National and Islamic Forces emphasized that the popular resistance activities are continuing, with the participation of everyone and under the flag of Palestine in all districts of the homeland… the forces called to consider this Friday [May 28, 2021] as a day of popular rage, in order to expand the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers, in addition to the places where the weekly activities are continuing.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 25, 2021]
The official PA daily also passed on the call of one of its regular columnists to “continue the comprehensive popular intifada”:
“The ceasefire does not mean the end of the battle… It is clear that the goal that has consensus among the Palestinian people today is ending the occupation and defeating the apartheid regime in Israel. In addition to this, we must continue the comprehensive popular intifada and the solidarity and boycott activity in the international arena.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 24, 2021]
Palestinian Media Watch has reported extensively on the PA and Fatah’s promotion of violence and terror and their encouragement of Palestinians – even children – to seek martyrdom-death to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem and “Palestine.” The statements of a PA deputy mayor at a demonstration in support of continued violent riots underscored these ideologies. Referring to former PA and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat, the deputy mayor of Surif in the Hebron district, Hazem Ghneimat, described as “beautiful words” Arafat’s encouragement of Palestinians to die as Martyrs for Jerusalem. Along with Arafat, the deputy mayor mentioned as role models four founders of terror organizations that have murdered thousands of Israelis:
Surif Deputy Mayor Hazem Ghneimat: “[We are demonstrating for] the souls of our eternal Martyrs, and foremost among them Martyr symbol commander Yasser Arafat who initiated the Palestinian revolution. The man with the beautiful words that we all repeat together: ‘Millions of Martyrs are marching to Jerusalem.’ May Allah have mercy on our commander symbol Yasser Arafat and have mercy on the Martyr leaders: [Hamas founder] Ahmed Yassin, [Hamas co-founder] Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rantisi, [Islamic Jihad founder] Fathi Shaqaqi, [PFLP Secretary-General] Abu Ali Mustafa, and all the Martyrs of Palestine.”
[Official PA TV News, May 24, 2021]
Fatah/Hamas Riot and Rocket War 2021 – On April 30, 2021, facing certain electoral defeat, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas cancelled the first PA elections scheduled in 15 years. Hamas, which expected to win the elections, denounced it as a “coup.” In need of a conflict to divert public discontent, Abbas artificially generated a crisis over Jerusalem. His Fatah party called for "raising the level of confrontation,” and Abbas' spokesman told Palestinians "the battle of all battles is here.” Jerusalem Arabs responded by attacking Jews with rocks and Molotov cocktails. Hamas, Abbas' political rival, could not allow Abbas to lead the battle, so on May 10, 2021, Hamas launched rocket barrages targeting Israeli population centers including Jerusalem. Over the next 11 days, Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired over 4,300 rockets into southern and central Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing 9 Israelis and 3 foreign nationals, and wounding hundreds. In response, Israel launched Operation Guardian of the Walls to target Hamas terror leaders and terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Already in mid-April, a planned eviction of some Palestinian families illegally living in Jewish-owned buildings in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem had led to clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli police. This dispute provided Palestinians with a pretext for violent rioting. Adding to the crisis, Israeli Arabs started rioting throughout Israel, especially in cities with a mixed Jewish and Arab population. Two Jews were murdered and many were wounded. According to Walla, an independent Israeli news site, 10 synagogues were wholly or partly burned down; fires were set in 112 Jewish homes and 1 Arab home mistaken for a Jewish home; 386 Jewish homes were plundered and 673 were damaged; 849 cars were set ablaze; and there were 5,018 rock-throwing attacks. In response, Jews started attacking Arabs and their properties as well, but on a much smaller scale. No mosques were burned; 13 Arab homes were damaged; 13 Arab-owned cars were burned; and there were 41 rock-throwing attacks by Jews. [Walla, May 16, 2021] The fighting between Israel and Hamas ended with a ceasefire on May 21, 2021.
The following are longer excerpts of the statements cited above:
Headline: “The Popular Front [for the Liberation of Palestine] called to escalate the intifada activity and the open confrontation with the occupation tomorrow”
“The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) called to turn tomorrow, Friday [May 28, 2021], into a day of escalating the intifada activity and the open confrontation against the occupation in the friction areas, the military checkpoints, and the settlements. This is in response to the occupation’s ongoing crimes and its reckless arrest campaign against our people in the occupied Interior (i.e., Palestinian term for Israel), and also as a sign of emphasizing our people’s unity and its adherence to the plan of resistance and confrontation.
The PFLP said that we must continue the open confrontation against the occupation soldiers and the settler herds and wage a comprehensive battle of confrontation throughout the occupied land…
The PFLP emphasized that the pressure must be increased on the occupation while taking advantage of the important achievements on the ground that were made by our people in recent weeks in the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, and the occupied Interior (refers to violent Arab riots and Hamas rocket barrages; see note below -Ed.), in order to reach political achievements based on the plan of resistance and adherence to the basic principles.”
[Donia Al-Watan, independent Palestinian news agency, May 27, 2021]
Headline: “The [Palestinian] National and Islamic Forces emphasize that the popular resistance activities are continuing”
“The [Palestinian] National and Islamic Forces emphasized that the popular resistance activities are continuing (refers to ongoing violent Arab riots; see note below -Ed.), with the participation of everyone and under the flag of Palestine in all districts of the homeland, [and] the confrontations with the occupation [are also continuing] in the seam areas, the settlements, and the military checkpoints.Following a meeting that was held yesterday [May 24, 2021], the forces called to consider this Friday [May 28, 2021] as a day of popular rage, in order to expand the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers, in addition to the places where the weekly activities are continuing.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 25, 2021]
Palestinian National and Islamic Forces - an unaffiliated coordinating body comprised of representatives from factions in the PLO and outside the PLO. The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces were established in 2000 shortly after the start of the PA terror campaign (the second Intifada, 2000-2005), under the authorization of Yasser Arafat and the leadership of terrorist Marwan Barghouti. During the PA terror campaign it played an active role in coordinating political efforts and terror attacks against Israel, but since the end of the campaign it has been less significant and its activity is primarily centered in Gaza.
Excerpt of an op-ed by Bassem Barhoum, regular columnist for the official PA daily
Headline: “Lest we ruin the achievement we have recorded”
“The ceasefire does not mean the end of the battle (refers to ceasefire ending Hamas rocket barrages against Israeli cities; see note below -Ed.). The Palestinian struggle has been continuing for more than 100 years, and throughout this whole path it may be that the most important achievement is the Palestinian people’s resolve on its homeland…
The Palestinian national scene over the last three weeks has been impressive in terms of the unity that was achieved in the struggle, and in terms of the complementary roles…The unity will not last if we are not united in [our] goals. It is clear that the goal that has consensus among the Palestinian people today is ending the occupation and defeating the apartheid regime in Israel. In addition to this, we must continue the comprehensive popular intifada and the solidarity and boycott activity in the international arena.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 24, 2021]
Official PA TV News, on Hebron protest supporting ongoing violent Arab riots; see note below
Surif Deputy Mayor Hazem Ghneimat: “[We are demonstrating for] the souls of our eternal Martyrs, and foremost among them Martyr symbol commander [former PLO Chairman and PA President] Yasser Arafat who initiated the Palestinian revolution. The man with the beautiful words that we all repeat together: ‘Millions of Martyrs are marching to Jerusalem.’ May Allah have mercy on our commander symbol Yasser Arafat and have mercy on the Martyr leaders: [Hamas founder] Ahmed Yassin, [Hamas co-founder] Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rantisi, [Islamic Jihad founder] Fathi Shaqaqi, [PFLP Secretary-General] Abu Ali Mustafa, and all the Martyrs of Palestine.”
[Official PA TV News, May 24, 2021]