The PA’s next excuse to incite violence - the death of an imprisoned terrorist murderer
Imprisoned terrorist murderer Nasser Abu Hmeid is reportedly in critical condition suffering from cancer. While the Palestinian Authority does not particularly need a special reason, when Abu Hamid dies, the PA will use his death as an excuse to incite violence that could potentially spread widely.
For the PA, Nasser Abu Hmeid is not just “another terrorist”. Rather, he holds a special position in the hearts and minds of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party. Aside from his personal “celebrity status,” Abu Hmeid is one of the terrorist sons of Latifa Abu Hmeid, the woman honored by Abbas to lead the PA’s drive for UN membership, solely due to the fact that she was then the mother of 5 terrorist murderers. Since then, another one of her sons was also convicted of murder.
As it has done on previous occasions when imprisoned terrorist died of illnesses, when Abu Hmeid dies, the PA will accuse Israel of “medical negligence” and will “hold Israel responsible” for his death. The real cause of Abu Hmeid’s death or the fact that he received comprehensive medical treatment, will most likely not be mentioned.
Responding to the transfer of Abu Hmeid to an Israeli hospital, the Director of the PA-funded PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs, Qadri Abu Bakr “held the occupation government fully responsible for the life of prisoner Abu Hmeid” and added:
“For a while prisoner Abu Hmeid has been suffering from deliberate medical neglect, which led him to this dangerous situation”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 5, 2022]
When imprisoned terrorist murderer Kamal Abu Wa’er died from cancer, in November 2020, the PA launched a widespread campaign blaming Israel for his death. Terrorist murderer Muhammad Kabha would later cite the PA incitement as his motivation for the brutal murder of Esther Horgan.
Nasser Abu Hmeid’s infamy dates back to the start of the PA-initiated terror campaign that started in September 2000. According to his indictment, it was Nasser Abu Hmeid who was the first to announce the formation of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the terrorist branch of Fatah. Starting in September 2000, Abu Hmeid was actively involved in intensive terror activity. The activities Abu Hmeid participated in included, among others, shooting attacks, making bombs, planting a bomb in a café in Jerusalem, and firing mortars at an Israeli settlement. As a direct result of Abu Hmeid’s activities 7 Israelis - Eliyahu Cohen, Binyamin and Talia Kahane, Gad Rejwan, Yosef Habi, Eli Dahan, and Salim Barakat – were murdered.
As the Abu Hmeid family has five terrorist murderers in prison and a sixth son killed in an attempt to arrest him, every month the PA pays the family $13,223 (42,400 shekels) as a reward for their terror activities.
Considering his senior position in Fatah’s terror wing, and taking into account that prior to his arrest Abu Hmeid mobilized and commanded scores of terrorists, there is a real chance that the PA incitement following his death will lead to widespread violence and calls to carry out revenge attacks.
The following is a longer excerpt of the statement cited above:
Headline: “Prisoner Nasser Abu Hmeid was surprisingly transferred to Barzilai Hospital”
“The [PLO] Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners’ Affairs announced that prisoner Nasser Abu Hmeid (i.e., terrorist, responsible for murder of 7), 49, was surprisingly transferred yesterday, Tuesday [Jan. 4, 2022], to the Israeli Barzilai Hospital.
Director of Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr held the occupation government fully responsible for the life of prisoner Abu Hmeid… who is currently connected to a ventilator.
Abu Bakr said that for a while prisoner Abu Hmeid has been suffering from deliberate medical neglect, which led him to this dangerous situation (sic., see note below regarding PA libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners).”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 5, 2022]
Libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners - The PA claims that Israel abuses Palestinian prisoners through medical neglect, medical experiments, and by intentionally infecting them with diseases. However, the International Red Cross regularly visits these prisoners and has not documented or accused Israel of any of these claims. Likewise, lists of demands occasionally issued by the prisoners during hunger strikes—such as during one in 2011—include no demands relating to these claims. PMW has documented prisoners talking about how they "lack nothing" in the prisons and that "the worst thing about Israeli prison" is riding in a prison vehicle that has no padding on the seat. When PMW contacted the Israeli Ministry of Health in 2007 regarding PA claims of medical experiments on prisoners, the ministry responded: "Clinical testing on prisoners in prison was never approved, never performed, and is most certainly not taking place at present."