Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah heats up confrontational atmosphere
Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah heats up confrontational atmosphere: "Blood demands blood" "Jerusalem, declare a revolution!" by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik  One post repeated Arafat's infamous statement calling for Palestinians to become Martyrs in Jerusalem, adding that "blood demands blood": "Blood demands blood; millions of Martyrs (Shahids) are marching to Jerusalem." [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page," July 3, 2014]
In another post (above) showing a photo of burning tires and a child throwing a stone, Fatah stated that "I am Palestinian only through my struggle" and "my stone is my weapon":"My mother taught me that my stone is my weapon; that I am Palestinian only through my struggle; she taught me to shout that this is my land, so get out!" [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", July 2, 2014] Yesterday, Palestinian Media Watch reported that Fatah had posted another threat to Israelis:"An oath in the name of the Lord of the Universes, O sons of Zion: blood for blood" [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page," July 1, 2014] "Jerusalem, declare a revolution!" another post called. [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page," July 3, 2014]   Another post repeated a statement by PA Deputy Minister of Prisoners' Affairs and Fatah Revolutionary Council member Ziyad Abu Ein, who hinted that Israelis are not safe by stating that "there is no sacredness to the occupation, its settlers and their security." [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", July 2, 2014]Fatah Commissioner for Mobilization and Organization and Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul also posted a call for uprising:  "Rise up, rebels of Jerusalem, rise up for the soul of Muhammad [Abu Khdeir] (i.e., the Palestinian teen who was kidnapped and murdered), and [for] all the Martyrs (Shahids) of Palestine." [Official Facebook page of Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul, July 2, 2014] Fatah Commissioner for Mobilization and Organization and Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul posted a message that condemned the "Nazi" kidnapping and murder of the youth Muhammad Abu Khdeir, and threatened Israel: "We warn the settler herds and the occupation state not to continue in their transgressions, and [we warn them that] our response will be severe - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." [Facebook page of Fatah Commissioner for Mobilization and Organization, and Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul, July 3, 2014] Al-Aloul posted this with the hashtags #ThirdIntifada and #Palestinerevolts.Palestinian Media Watch has documented that Fatah uses Facebook to promote violence. On June 12, 2014, three Israeli teens were kidnapped while hitchhiking in the West Bank. The boys' bodies were found by Israeli security forces near Hebron on June 30, 2014. They appeared to have been shot to death soon after the abduction. Two days later, a Palestinian teen was kidnapped and murdered in Jerusalem, in what Palestinians believe was a revenge attack by Israelis, although this is not confirmed. Following this murder, Palestinians took to the streets of eastern Jerusalem in violent protests. The following are the posts on Fatah's Facebook page: Text with image of Arafat: "Blood demands blood; millions of Martyrs (Shahids) are marching to Jerusalem." Text: "Jerusalem, declare a revolution!" Text: "Fatah Revolutionary Council member [and PA Deputy Minister of Prisoners' Affairs] Ziyad Abu Ein [said], in a statement to the press a short while ago: 'Our blood is the most sacred thing, [but] there is no sacredness to the occupation, its settlers and their security.'" [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", July 2, 2014] Text: "My mother taught me that my stone is my weapon; that I am Palestinian only through my struggle; she taught me to shout that this is my land, so get out!" [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", July 2, 2014] Note: The Facebook page where these items were posted, called "Fatah - The Main Page," is an official Fatah Facebook page. The page defines itself as belonging to the Fatah Mobilization and Organization Commission, and the commission's official website links to this Facebook page.Image and text posted on the Facebook page of Fatah Commissioner for Mobilization and Organization and Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul: The text on the left is a "message from the United National-Islamic Leadership in Jerusalem." (This is the first proclamation published by this body, and it is unclear whether such a leadership even exists -Ed.) The message condemns the "Nazi" operation of the kidnapping and murder of the youth Muhammad Abu Khdeir. The third paragraph of the proclamation threatens: "We warn the settler herds and the occupation state not to continue in their transgressions, and [we warn them that] our response will be severe - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." Mahmoud Al-Aloul posted this with the hashtags "Third Intifada" and "Palestine revolts." [Facebook page of Fatah Commissioner for Mobilization and Organization, and Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul, July 3, 2014] Text from the official Facebook page of Fatah Commissioner for Mobilization and Organization and Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul:Fatah Commissioner for Mobilization and Organization and Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul: "Rise up, rebels of Jerusalem, rise up for the soul of Muhammad [Abu Khdeir] (i.e., the Palestinian teen who was kidnapped and murdered, possibly for nationalistic reasons in revenge for the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens), and [for] all the Martyrs (Shahids) of Palestine. As of this moment, the clashes in Jerusalem's Shuafat [neighborhood], which have lasted for over 11 hours, [have left] over 100 Palestinians wounded." [Official Facebook page of Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul, July 2, 2014] |