Chicago Sun-Times: Based on incitement exposed by PMW, Abbas is culpable for murders

Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Frankel, 16, were targeted by Hamas killers as the three Israelis hitch-hiked in the disputed territory of the West Bank. They were kidnapped and, when one of them used his cell phone to call the police, shot to death, and their bodies were hastily buried. The only regret from any Hamas operative was that the teens weren’t alive to be used as pawns to negotiate the release of Palestinian terrorists from Israeli jails...

The “moderate” president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, can’t escape the stain of these murders. The Fatah movement he heads called the civilian, non-combatant victims “soldiers.” Worse, as disclosed by Palestinian Media Watch, Fatah on its Facebook page depicted the three boys as mice, with a Star of David on their bodies, caught on the hooks of a fishing rod. This and other Palestinian Authority and Fatah propaganda in media, schools and mosques denies the Jewish history of Jerusalem, celebrates the murder of Israelis, glorifies the “martyrdom” of terrorists, and omits Israel from maps.

Let’s not forget that Abbas recently entered into a reconciliation with Hamas to end their open enmity from the 2007 civil war in the Gaza Strip and form a unity government. This reconnect between the two Palestinian organizations no doubt paved the way for increased Hamas activity in the West Bank, and ultimately the murders.

And let’s not forget that Abbas has steadfastly refused to recognize Israel as the Jewish state.

Given Abbas’ record, it’s time to cut off the nearly half a billion dollars in annual U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority, now that he is dedicated to power sharing with Hamas.