French city grants honorary citizenship to murderer of Israeli minister
French city grants honorary citizenship
to murderer of Israeli minister
to murderer of Israeli minister
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Terrorist Majdi al-Rimawi was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 80 years for participating in the planning and murder of Israeli Minister Rechavam Zeevi in 2001.
A few weeks ago, the city of Bezons in France decided to grant Al-Rimawi "honorary citizenship." The inscription on the plaque prepared by the municipality of Bezons referred to Al-Rimawi as a "political prisoner."
Al-Rimawi participated in Zeevi's murder and was a member of the terrorist organization PFLP, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Palestinian Media Watch has documented that Palestinian terrorist prisoners are glorified by the PA and even receive PA salaries. In this case, the French city of Bezons directly supports this PA policy by itself glorifying the Palestinian terrorist.
The following is the story as reported on PA TV:
PA TV host: "The French city of Bezons awarded honorary citizenship to the prisoner Majdi al-Rimawi from the village Bani Zeid Al-Gharbiyya. This title and award were given during an official ceremony held in France, to which the wife of the prisoner, Fathiya al-Rimawi, was invited... Prisoner Majdi al-Rimawi, of course, has been jailed in the occupation's (i.e., Israeli) prisons for 11 years and is sentenced to life imprisonment plus 50 years (80 years, -Ed.)"
Terrorist Al-Rimawi's wife: "This connection between the city of Bezons and the Municipality of Bani Zeid Al-Gharbiyya began in 2008... The matter of prisoners in our region caught the attention of [our] French brothers, and they decided to honor them by granting honorary citizenship to a prisoner from this area. Of course, all prisoners deserve all the good, all the honor and all the admiration, from the smallest of them to the greatest, from the most lenient sentence to the heaviest sentence. However, as part of the historical ties [between the municipalities], and since we in the [Bani Zeid] municipality started the relationship with the French brothers, prisoner Majdi Al-Rimawi was the one chosen to be recognized and granted this honorary award. For us, the family of the prisoner, this award is a great gesture from the French [people] and [shows their] support of the issue of Palestinian prisoners in general, and in particular the issue of prisoners sentenced to long prison terms."
PA TV focused on a plaque from the city of Bezons, which included the following dedication (in French):
"The city of Bezons has promoted
Mr. Majdi Irhima Al-Rimawi
[to] Honorary Citizen
at the extraordinary city council on February 13, 2013"
PA TV also zoomed in on the following text:Mr. Majdi Irhima Al-Rimawi
[to] Honorary Citizen
at the extraordinary city council on February 13, 2013"
On the left:
"An olive branch for the Palestinians (literally "olive tree").A state for the Palestinians on the 1967 borders.
A city for peace and solidarity."
"In solidarity with the Palestinian people, on February 13, 2013, the city council promoted Majdi Irhima al-Rimawi (political prisoner) to the rank of honorary citizen of the city of Bezons."
[PA TV (Fatah), Feb. 20, 2013]
The Mayor of the city of Bezons, Dominique Lesparre, made a speech at the ceremony in which he justified the acts of the terrorist convicted of murder, calling him a "victim." He also defended all 4,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons as "Palestinian resistance." The transcript of his speech was posted on his blog:
Dominique Lesparre, Mayor of Bezons: "Majdi is a direct victim of this occupation... As are the 4,500 Palestinian resistance [fighters] who were imprisoned for having dared to defend their country against an occupier whose military means are oversized and whose methods constantly violate UN resolutions and international law."
(French original: "Majdi est une victime directe de cette occupation... Comme le sont aussi les 4 500 résistants palestiniens emprisonnés pour avoir osé défendre leur pays face à un occupant dont les moyens militaires sont surdimensionnés et dont les méthodes violent sans cesse les résolutions des Nations Unies et le droit international.")
[http://dominiquelesparre.com/2013/02/17/majdi-ihrima-al-rimawi-prisonnier-palestinien-fait-citoyen-dhonneur-de-la-ville-de-bezons/,
posted Feb. 17, 2013, accessed March 10, 2013]