PA Mufti: Terrorists "moons that light the skies of Jerusalem and Palestine," not murderers
A reception was held in Jerusalem for released Palestinian prisoner Bilal Abu Hussein. The reception was attended by Fatah Central Committee member Othman Abu Gharbieh, District Governor of Jerusalem and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ representative Adnan Al-Husseini and PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein.
A sign at the reception indicated that it was a Fatah event.
PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein: “Netanyahu told the US Secretary of State on the eve of the release of our brave prisoners: ‘Mahmoud Abbas and the highest echelons of the Palestinian leadership are celebrating and welcoming murderers – in their words, of course – do they want peace?’ We say: ‘If only this man [Netanyahu] would call the real murderer a murderer.’ He, his government and his political parties built a shrine for the perpetrator of the foulest massacre in human history, [which took place] in the Ibrahimi Mosque (i.e., Cave of the Patriarchs) - for [Baruch] Goldstein, the real murderer… (NOTE: This is untrue, see note below).
We and the Palestinian leadership -- and when I say ‘we’, I mean the entire Palestinian people – are celebrating, among the highest echelons, the leadership and the nation, the reception of brother Bilal [Abu Hussein] and the stars of Palestine… and we grandly welcome the prisoners because they are the pioneers of our sacrifice and freedom, and are worthy of celebration. We are celebrating in your honor Bilal – [you, who are] moons that light the skies of Jerusalem and Palestine. We are celebrating in honor of all the prisoners who have sacrificed their freedom… He who sacrifices for his nation and he who sacrifices for his homeland will remain a hero, remain a leader and remain worthy of being admired by us. [We] welcome all the prisoners [points to Bilal Abu Hussein], our brave prisoners.”
Note: Bilal Abu Hussein – was arrested in 1988 for blocking roads and setting a vehicle on fire. While in prison, he and his cellmates murdered a prisoner whom they suspected of collaborating with Israel. He was sentenced to 36 years in prison but was released in December 2013 as part of the 104 terrorists whom Israel agreed to release to fulfill the PA's precondition for renewing negotiations.
Cave of the Patriarchs massacre - on Feb. 25, 1994, Israeli Baruch Goldstein, a member of an Israeli far-right movement, opened fire on Muslims praying inside the Ibrahimi Mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, killing 29 and wounding 125.
Goldstein’s attack was widely condemned in Israel and by Jewish communities in the diaspora; Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin condemned Goldstein’s action, calling it “a loathsome, criminal act of murder” and described Goldstein as “a shame on Zionism and an embarrassment to Judaism.”
In addition to verbal condemnation, the Israeli government took concrete steps to prevent similar attacks from occurring, by imposing administrative detentions on several individuals and revoking their weapons permits, and by designating several extremist movements, including Goldstein’s, as illegal terrorist groups. In 1998, Israel passed a law outlawing monuments to honor terrorists, and dismantled the memorial to Goldstein which had been erected by his supporters. All of these facts are ignored by the PA Mufti in his speech above.
A sign at the reception indicated that it was a Fatah event.
PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein: “Netanyahu told the US Secretary of State on the eve of the release of our brave prisoners: ‘Mahmoud Abbas and the highest echelons of the Palestinian leadership are celebrating and welcoming murderers – in their words, of course – do they want peace?’ We say: ‘If only this man [Netanyahu] would call the real murderer a murderer.’ He, his government and his political parties built a shrine for the perpetrator of the foulest massacre in human history, [which took place] in the Ibrahimi Mosque (i.e., Cave of the Patriarchs) - for [Baruch] Goldstein, the real murderer… (NOTE: This is untrue, see note below).
We and the Palestinian leadership -- and when I say ‘we’, I mean the entire Palestinian people – are celebrating, among the highest echelons, the leadership and the nation, the reception of brother Bilal [Abu Hussein] and the stars of Palestine… and we grandly welcome the prisoners because they are the pioneers of our sacrifice and freedom, and are worthy of celebration. We are celebrating in your honor Bilal – [you, who are] moons that light the skies of Jerusalem and Palestine. We are celebrating in honor of all the prisoners who have sacrificed their freedom… He who sacrifices for his nation and he who sacrifices for his homeland will remain a hero, remain a leader and remain worthy of being admired by us. [We] welcome all the prisoners [points to Bilal Abu Hussein], our brave prisoners.”
Note: Bilal Abu Hussein – was arrested in 1988 for blocking roads and setting a vehicle on fire. While in prison, he and his cellmates murdered a prisoner whom they suspected of collaborating with Israel. He was sentenced to 36 years in prison but was released in December 2013 as part of the 104 terrorists whom Israel agreed to release to fulfill the PA's precondition for renewing negotiations.
Cave of the Patriarchs massacre - on Feb. 25, 1994, Israeli Baruch Goldstein, a member of an Israeli far-right movement, opened fire on Muslims praying inside the Ibrahimi Mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, killing 29 and wounding 125.
Goldstein’s attack was widely condemned in Israel and by Jewish communities in the diaspora; Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin condemned Goldstein’s action, calling it “a loathsome, criminal act of murder” and described Goldstein as “a shame on Zionism and an embarrassment to Judaism.”
In addition to verbal condemnation, the Israeli government took concrete steps to prevent similar attacks from occurring, by imposing administrative detentions on several individuals and revoking their weapons permits, and by designating several extremist movements, including Goldstein’s, as illegal terrorist groups. In 1998, Israel passed a law outlawing monuments to honor terrorists, and dismantled the memorial to Goldstein which had been erected by his supporters. All of these facts are ignored by the PA Mufti in his speech above.