PA names forest after arch-terrorist Abu Jihad
PA names forest after arch-terrorist Abu Jihad
Abu Jihad masterminded terror attacks that killed 125 Israelis by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
The official Palestinian Authority daily reported that the PA and Fatah inaugurated a forest they chose to name after arch-terrorist Abu Jihad: "The Martyr Abu Jihad Forest."
Abu Jihad was a founder of Fatah and deputy to Yasser Arafat. He headed the PLO's military wing and planned many deadly terror attacks. These attacks, which according to the official PA daily killed at least 125 Israelis, included the most lethal in Israeli history - the hijacking of a bus and killing of 37 civilians, 12 of them children.
Palestinian Media Watch has documented that PA Chairman Abbas decorated terrorist Abu Jihad post-mortem a few months ago with "the highest order of the Star of Honor."
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several PA officials: Minister of Agriculture Walid Assaf, District Governor of Hebron Kamel Hamid and representatives of the PA Security Forces, as well as several mayors from the Hebron district and relatives of terrorist Abu Jihad, the paper reported.
At the ceremony, the terrorist's son Jihad Al-Wazir stated, "All of you are Martyr Abu Jihad's children, and he is freedom in the memories and hearts of every one of you."
Describing the event, the official PA daily reported that "everyone was asked to protect the forest, in view of its great significance, especially because it bears the name of a leader and symbol, Abu Jihad."
A few days earlier, the writer of an op-ed in the official PA daily referred to terrorist Abu Jihad as "the spearhead of the bullets of the true resistors, and the first truly upright rock" and likened his "influence" to Mahmoud Darwish, who Palestinians consider their national poet, and terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, who carried out the attack planned by Abu Jihad in which 37 were killed:
"In his actions and influence, he is on a par with, or close to, the symbolism of Yasser Arafat and his keffiyeh (Arab headdress), the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish, and the blood of Dalal Mughrabi, Bajes Abu Atwan and others... Abu Jihad remained [active] on the ground from the start of his Jihadist activity in 1955 until his Martyrdom in 1988. He was the spearhead of the bullets of the true resistors, and the first truly upright rock." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 29, 2014]
In the forest honoring Abu Jihad, the PA erected a monument with logos of the PA Ministry of Agriculture and the Municipality of Al-Shuyoukh and with the following text:
"In the name of the merciful and compassionate Allah, 'And say [unto them]: Act! Allah will behold your actions, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers.' (Quran, Sura 9:105, translation Pickthall) The Martyr Abu Jihad Forest project was inaugurated under the auspices of [PA] Minister of Agriculture Walid Assaf and Hebron District Governor Kamel Hamid on Sunday, March 30, 2014. This project was completed in cooperation with the Hebron Agriculture Administration." [Official PA TV, March 30, 2014]
Click to see PMW's documentation of official PA TV's tribute to terrorist Abu Jihad last year.
The following are longer excerpts of the reports about the forest named after terrorist Abu Jihad:
"Fatah's northern Hebron branch took part... in the inauguration [ceremony] of the Martyr (Shahid) Abu Jihad Forest yesterday [March 31, 2014], [which was] attended by the chairwoman of the Families of the Martyrs and Wounded Institution, Intisar Al-Wazir (Abu Jihad's widow), Palestine Monetary Authority Director Jihad Al-Wazir (Abu Jihad's son), [PA] Minister of Agriculture Walid Assaf, District Governor of Hebron Kamel Hamid, the Mayor of Al-Shuyoukh (a village near Hebron) [Sharif Al-Halaiqa], the mayors [of the communities] in the district and [representatives of] the Security Forces... Minister of Agriculture [Walid Assaf] and District Governor Kamel Hamid... praised this achievement (the inauguration), which illustrates the meaning of unification and tenacity and resolve on our land..." [Palestine] Monetary Authority Director [Jihad Al-Wazir]... emphasized that he was not addressing the crowd as a member of the Martyr's family, because Martyr Khalil Al-Wazir belongs to everyone. [He said:] 'All of you are [Abu Jihad,] Martyr Khalil Al-Wazir's children, and he is freedom in the memories and hearts of every one of you...' After the ceremony, [the participants] turned toward the forest, cut the ribbon and inaugurated it. They also planted trees in the forest, which covers approximately 24 dunams. Everyone was asked to protect the forest, in view of its great significance, especially because it bears the name of a leader and symbol, [Abu Jihad] Martyr Khalil Al-Wazir." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 1, 2014]
Op-ed by Hani Fahs in the official PA daily: "Many times, Abu Jihad made his way into the hearts of fighters in other countries - from the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and the Pattanis in Thailand, to the Iranians, with all their factions and [political] affiliations. I don't recall seeing or hearing about them and those like them from anyone besides Abu Jihad. The only times I ever saw them were at his places of work - from his office to the bases he would insist on visiting and inspecting... and his sole aim was to help them adhere to the principles of revolution and to recruit them to Palestine's side. In this, in his actions and influence, he is on a par with, or close to, the symbolism of Yasser Arafat and his keffiyeh (Arab headdress), the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish, and the blood of Dalal Mughrabi, Bajes Abu Atwan and others... Abu Jihad remained [active] on the ground from the start of his Jihadist activity in 1955 until his Martyrdom in 1988. He was the spearhead of the bullets of the true resistors, and the first truly upright rock." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 29, 2014] |
