PA calls for terror - “popular resistance” – like the first Intifada when “we were masters of the roads” and “the settlers were like hiding rats”
PA official: “Everyone believes that the model of the first Intifada is the most efficient, strongest, most effective, and perhaps the shortest model in order to achieve the Palestinian people’s rights”
“There is a belief that popular action, peaceful or non-peaceful popular resistance… has the ability to realize the Palestinian people’s aspirations in the shortest timeframe”
While the PA maintains that “popular resistance” is “peaceful” and non-violent, Palestinian Media Watch has documented that the terms “popular uprising/resistance” and “peaceful uprising/resistance” are used by PA leaders to refer not only to peaceful protest but also at times to deadly terror attacks and terror waves.
For example, PA Chairman Abbas defined as “peaceful popular” the murderous terror during the 2015-2016 terror wave (“The Knife Intifada”), in which 40 people were killed (36 Israelis, 1 Palestinian, 2 Americans and 1 Eritrean) and hundreds wounded in stabbings, shootings, and car ramming attacks. Abbas said: "We want peaceful popular uprising, and that’s what this is." At the time Abbas said this, 14 Israelis had already been murdered.
Now the PA has again intensified its calls for “popular resistance,” and several PA and PLO officials have urged Palestinians to engage in activities like the first Intifada - the Palestinian wave of violence and terror against Israel 1987-1993, in which approximately 200 Israelis were murdered.
Referring to meetings within the PLO and Fatah, Director-General of Popular Activity in the PA-controlled Committee to Resist Settlements and the Wall Abdallah Abu Rahma explained that the “main topic” there, and for Abbas too, is “popular resistance.” Abu Rahma clarified what they mean by the term - violence intifada style:
Abu Rahma: “The main topic of the [PLO] Central Council meeting yesterday was popular resistance. All the sessions, meetings, and conferences, whether of the Fatah Movement or of the other factions, and also His Honor President [Abbas calls] in all his speeches to initiate popular resistance… We can’t enjoy peace and security without popular resistance actually spreading. The method of the popular [first] Intifada of 1987 (i.e., Palestinian wave of violence, 1987-1993), is the best proof of this, when we actually were the constant masters of the roads, moving freely, and the settlers were like hiding rats moving under the [Israeli] army’s large security protection. Despite this [protection] they were beaten and faced confrontations. Therefore, I again say that we need to initiate popular resistance.”
[Official PA TV, Feb. 8, 2022]
Abu Rahma is no stranger to violence. During the years 2005 – 2009 he was a member of the “Wall Committee” and organized violent demonstrations in Bil’in village, in which he threw rocks at Israeli security forces. During the demonstrations, Abu Rahma continued to incite violence. Among other things, upon Abu Rahma’s orders, the youth of the village would throw rocks at the Israeli security forces using slingshots. [Single Judge Appeal 2599/10 The Military Prosecution [for Judea and Samaria] v’ Abdallah Abu Rahma]
Palestinian National Council Secretary Fahmi Al-Za’arir expressed what “everyone believes” – that the Palestinian modus operandi of the first Intifada – which led to the murder of approximately 200 Israelis - is “the most effective”:
Palestinian National Council Secretary Fahmi Al-Za’arir: “Popular resistance is perhaps one of the most talked about causes. Everyone believes that the model of the first Intifada is the most efficient, strongest, most effective, and perhaps the shortest model in order to achieve the Palestinian people’s rights.”
[Official PA TV, Topic of the Day, Feb. 8, 2022]
While stressing that the members of the PLO Central Council are discussing “popular resistance,” Al-Za’arir openly stated that “popular resistance” can be “non-peaceful” – i.e., the use of violence is an option. He also suggested that adopting the methods of the first Intifada will ensure that “world public opinion… will be closer to the Palestinian people”:
Fahmi Al-Za’arir: “[PLO] Central Council members in general spoke about this topic for the simple reason I said at the beginning, that there is a belief that popular action, peaceful or non-peaceful popular resistance… is itself the topic, it has the ability to realize the Palestinian people’s aspirations in the shortest timeframe. But [the first Intifada] was based on a simple sentence: ‘morality of the means.’ If we use the so-called concept of ‘morality of the means’ and work according to it on the ground, then world public opinion and all its elements will be closer to the Palestinian people. The Palestinian popular resistance that is talked about includes a number of fundamental causes, including expanding the scope of participation and gradually increasing its pace to the point of what may be called a comprehensive rebellion against the Israeli occupation. Peaceful popular resistance similar to the first Intifada has the potential to realize the Palestinian people’s aspirations in the shortest time.”
[Official PA TV, Topic of the Day, Feb. 8, 2022]
Stating that world public opinion will side with the Palestinians if they only adopt first Intifada measures – as opposed to those used in the second Intifada 2000-2005, during which Palestinians carried out numerous terror attacks including suicide bombings and murdered more than 1,100 Israelis – echoes a statement by top PA official Jibril Rajoub, who once said that the world won’t agree to bombings in Tel Aviv and that the Palestinians must choose “to fight in a way” that ensures continued international support:
Rajoub: "The international community does not agree to a bus exploding in Tel Aviv. But the international community does not ask what happens to a settler or soldier in the occupied territories at the wrong time and in the wrong place. No one asks about him! Therefore, we want to fight in such a way that the world and the international community will remain by our side."
[Official PA TV, Oct. 17, 2015]
Abbas’ Fatah Central Committee also repeatedly called for increased “popular resistance”:
“The Fatah Central Committee… emphasized that we must escalate the popular resistance and stand against the settler herds.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 14, 2022]
“The Fatah Movement Central Committee… repeated its call on the masses of our people to pledge participation as wide as possible in the activities on the ground supporting the prisoners, and to escalating the popular resistance.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 28, 2022]
Director of the Committee to Resist Settlements Muayyad Sha’ban likewise stressed that the PA “must expand the popular resistance,” and suggested they “seek creative ideas and new tools for the popular resistance so that it will include all parts of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.” [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 25, 2022]
Similarly, official PA Presidential Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeina stated that “popular resistance” is the “most effective weapon”:
“Official [PA] Presidential Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeina said that ‘Peaceful popular resistance remains the most important and effective weapon for restoring the Palestinian rights.’”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 14, 2022]
Speaking at the funeral of 3 terrorists who were killed while they were planning an imminent shooting attack, official Fatah Spokesman Hussein Hamayel also called for “popular resistance” to “liberate our land”:
Official Fatah Spokesman Hussein Hamayel: “We are calling today on behalf of the entire Palestinian people for the necessity of carrying out popular resistance against this occupation, because we are left with no other options but to defend ourselves from this crime (i.e., killing of 3 terrorists)… These young people (i.e., terrorists) who ascended to Heaven today will be a curse for this occupation… The American administration or the American Secretary of State spokesperson shouldn’t come to us and say: ‘We hope for restraint’ …
These three heroes are lofty in their graves, their pastures, their homes. Their souls are lofty. They will accompany us in liberating the land and the Muslims from this occupation… I tell you, despite this blood, victory is near… Allah willing we will walk with our heads held high and liberate our land and the Muslims from this occupation.”
[Official PA TV, Feb. 8, 2022]
Whichever term the PA uses to call on Palestinians to act against Israel, Palestinian society knows that the “most sanctified” are terrorists and murderers – those seeking to kill Israelis – as PA Chairman Abbas has stressed numerous times. The PA has broadcast the following video dozens of times:
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: "Israel came and said that the Martyrs are criminals, terrorists, and murderers. Shame on you Israel! We will never agree to abandon our Martyrs… Our Martyrs, prisoners, and wounded are the most sanctified that we have. We will not agree to waive our money in full. Our Martyrs have a right to this money."
[Official PA TV, Nov. 11 (twice), 12 (twice), 15 (three times), 18 (twice), 30, Dec. 2, 4, 10, 12, 23, 24, 26 (twice) 28, 2019,Jan. 6, 16, 18, 26, Feb. 4, 13, June 8, 25, July 14, 16, 19, 23, Oct. 8, 11,15, Nov. 3, 17, 2020; Jan. 19, March 14, April 4, 5, May 1, Aug. 16, Sept. 8, 26, Nov. 17, 2021; Jan. 12, 2022]
The following are longer excerpts of the statements cited above:
Abu Rahma called for popular resistance intifada style as quoted above during a live broadcast from the funeral of three Fatah terrorists who were killed by Israel while planning an imminent shooting attack:
The first Intifada - Palestinian wave of violence and terror against Israel 1987-1993, approximately 200 Israelis murdered
Adham Mabrouka Al-Shishani, Muhammad Al-Dakhil, and Ashraf Mubaslat – Palestinian terrorists and members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades (Fatah’s military wing) who were shot and killed by Israeli security forces in Nablus on Feb. 8, 2022. When killed the terrorists were armed with two M-16 semi-automatic assault rifles and intelligence indicated that they were planning an imminent terror attack. The terrorists had already committed six shooting attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers in previous weeks, among them: Jan. 25, 2022 - shooting on an Israeli military post near Nablus. Jan. 27, 2022 - shooting on a military post between the Israeli towns of Elon Moreh and Itamar east of Nablus. Jan. 29, 2022 - shooting on an Israeli military vehicle as it drove next to the PA village of Tell southwest of Nablus. Feb. 2, 2022 - shooting on a military post at an entrance to Nablus. PMW was unable to determine the details of the remaining two attacks, which reportedly targeted Israeli towns.
The terms "peaceful uprising/resistance,” and “popular uprising/resistance" are used by PA leaders at times to refer to peaceful protest and at times to refer to deadly terror attacks and terror waves. For example, Mahmoud Abbas defined as “peaceful popular” the murderous terror during the 2015-2016 terror wave (“The Knife Intifada”), in which 40 people were killed (36 Israelis, 1 Palestinian, 2 Americans and 1 Eritrean) and hundreds wounded in stabbings, shootings, and car ramming attacks. Abbas said: "We want peaceful popular uprising, and that’s what this is." https://palwatch.org/page/9276
Palestinian National Council Secretary Fahmi Al-Za’arir: “Popular resistance (i.e., term used by Palestinians, which also refers to the use of violence and terror) is perhaps one of the most talked about causes. Everyone believes that the model of the first Intifada (i.e., Palestinian wave of violence and terror against Israel, approximately 200 Israelis murdered, 1987-1993) is the most efficient, strongest, most effective, and perhaps the shortest model in order to achieve the Palestinian people’s rights. A report was submitted by the popular resistance committee in the Palestinian National Council (i.e., the legislative body of the PLO), and other reports were submitted by a number of members in the [PLO] Executive Committee who are working in this field. Actually, [PLO] Central Council members in general spoke about this topic for the simple reason I said at the beginning, that there is a belief that popular action, peaceful or non-peaceful popular resistance… is itself the topic, it has the ability to realize the Palestinian people’s aspirations in the shortest timeframe. But [the first Intifada] was based on a simple sentence: ‘morality of the means.’ If we use the so-called concept of ‘morality of the means’ and work according to it on the ground, then world public opinion and all its elements will be closer to the Palestinian people. The Palestinian popular resistance that is talked about includes a number of fundamental causes, including expanding the scope of participation and gradually increasing its pace to the point of what may be called a comprehensive rebellion against the Israeli occupation. Peaceful popular resistance similar to the first Intifada has the potential to realize the Palestinian people’s aspirations in the shortest time.”
[Official PA TV, Topic of the Day, Feb. 8, 2022]
“Official [PA] Presidential Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeina said that the ongoing Jewish terror that we were witness to yesterday [Feb. 13, 2022] in Sheikh Jarrah (refers to Israeli Parliament Member Itamar Ben Gvir opening a parliamentary office there to protest the lack of police presence in the Jerusalem neighborhood, after a Jewish home was firebombed there on Feb. 11, 2022 -Ed.), and what we see every day in the rest of the Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps, constitutes an Israeli political trend and decision…
He added: ‘Peaceful popular resistance (i.e., term used by Palestinians, which also refers to the use of violence and terror) remains the most important and effective weapon for restoring the Palestinian rights.’”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 14, 2022]
Nabil Abu Rudeina also serves as PA Minister of Information, Fatah Commissioner of Information, Culture, and Ideology, and Fatah Central Committee member.
“The Fatah Movement Central Committee held a meeting in Ramallah yesterday [Feb. 27, 2022] to discuss many topics, especially in light of the ongoing incessant and escalating Israeli attacks against all members of our people…
The Central Committee… repeated its call on the masses of our people to pledge participation as wide as possible in the activities on the ground supporting the prisoners, and to escalating the popular resistance (i.e., term used by Palestinians, which also refers to the use of violence and terror) and block the attempts to cause residents to emigrate and the settlers’ attacks.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 28, 2022]
Headline: “The Fatah Central Committee emphasizes that we must escalate the popular resistance and stand against the settler herds”
“The Fatah Central Committee held a meeting yesterday [Feb. 13, 2022] to discuss the developments in the Palestinian arena in light of the escalation in Israeli attacks and the recent state of affairs in Sheikh Jarrah (i.e., a predominantly Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem) and the various points of confrontation…
As part of its discussions yesterday, Fatah emphasized that we must escalate the popular resistance (i.e., term used by Palestinians, which also refers to the use of violence and terror) and stand against the settler herds.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 14, 2022]