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Fatah leader to Israel: "Die in your rage"

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik  |
Fatah leader Abbas Zaki
mocks Israel for releasing murderers
who were serving life sentences:

"We say to Israel: Die in your rage.
Go to your cemeteries
and recite over your dead whatever you recite"

Prisoners who Israel said "have blood on their hands" -
"here they are [back] among their own people:
fighters, knights, free men!"

Zaki about the released killers:
They are "medals of honor on the chest of this nation"

 
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

At a Fatah event celebrating Israel's release of three murderers from among the 26 terrorist prisoners released last week, Abbas Zaki, speaking for Fatah, mocked Israel for agreeing to release Palestinian murderers. He said that Israel gave them life sentences and categorized them as having "blood on their hands," yet, "here they are... fighters, knights, free men":

"No one expected that Israel, which hands down life sentences and decided that they [the prisoners] would go from prison to the grave, [would release them]... We say to Israel: Die in your rage. Go to your cemeteries and recite over your dead whatever you recite. Here they are [who Israel said] 'have blood on their hands' (i.e., murderers); here they are [back] among their own people: fighters, knights, free men!"
 
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In the past Israel has refused to release prisoners "with blood on their hands."

Zaki said the three released killers "have become medals of honor on the chest of this nation."

Two of them, Ziyad Mahmoud Ghneimat and Mustafa Ghneimat, were each serving a life sentence for shooting and murdering two Israelis, Meir Ben Yair and Michal Cohen, in a forest on June 27, 1985. Najeh Muqbil was serving 38 years for participating in the stabbing and murder of his employer, Yaacov Shalom, on May 20, 1990.

Zaki also praised them and PA Chairman Abbas for bringing about their release:

"How great and magnificent what you have done, oh heroes returning from captivity... How great is what President Mahmoud Abbas has done, [he] who through his insight knew how to defeat the enemies."
 
Released murderer Mustafa Ghneimat with
PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Karake
[Fatah Information & Culture Commission website, Nov. 4, 2013]
Released murderer Najeh Muqbil with
PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Karake
[Fatah Information & Culture Commission website, Nov. 4, 2013]
At the ceremony glorifying the three murderers from Hebron, several PA and Fatah officials were present, among them Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake, members of the Fatah Central Committee Jamal Muhaisen and Tawfiq Tirawi, District Governor of Hebron Kamel Hamid, and Head of the Prisoners' Club Qadura Fares.

At the end of the ceremony, each of the three murderers received a plaque of honor from each of the following three official bodies: The Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs, the Hebron District and the PA Security Forces, and the Fatah branch of Northern Hebron.

Last week, Palestinian Media Watch documented that Abbas called 26 murderers "our heroic brothers." The 26 were part of 104 murderers Israel has agreed to release, fulfilling the PA's precondition before the current peace negotiations could begin.

PMW has documented the PA and Fatah glorification of terrorists.

The following is a short excerpt of member of the Fatah Central Committee Abbas Zaki's speech celebrating the release of the three murderers:

Moderator: "Abbas Zaki will speak on behalf of Fatah and the Fatah Central Committee..."
[Abbas Zaki shakes hands with the released murderers]
Member of Fatah Central Committee Abbas Zaki: "How great and magnificent what you have done, oh heroes returning from captivity... How great what President Mahmoud Abbas has done, who through his insight knew how to defeat the enemies... No one expected that Israel, which hands down life sentences and decided that they [the prisoners] would go from prison to the grave, [would release them]. They have become medals of honor on the chest of this nation... We say to Israel: Die in your rage. Go to your cemeteries and recite over your dead whatever you recite. Here they are [who Israel said] "have blood on their hands" (i.e., murderers); here they are [back] among their own people: fighters, knights, free men!"
[Official PA TV Live, Nov. 3, 2013]

Note: Ziyad Mahmoud Ghneimat and Mustafa Ghneimat were each serving a life sentence for shooting and murdering two Israeli citizens, Meir Ben Yair and Michal Cohen, in a forest on June 27, 1985.
Najeh Muqbil - participated in stabbing and murdering his employer, Israeli citizen Yaacov Shalom, on May 20, 1990. He was sentenced to 38 years in prison.
They were released in October 2013, as part of the 104 prisoners to be released by Israel, which was the PA's precondition for renewing negotiations.

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