Murder of 5 Jews praised by Abbas' advisor and Fatah

Abbas' advisor and Fatah praised the murder

while Abbas condemned it

• Abbas' advisor about the murders: "heroic operation" 
• Abbas' Fatah "welcomes the operation" and "escorts the Martyrs to Paradise"  
• Abbas' Fatah: "Handing out candy in the cities of the West Bank in celebration of the Jerusalem operation"
• Abbas' office: "The President's office condemns the murder of the worshippers"

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Following this morning's murder of 5 Jewish worshippers in a Jerusalem synagogue, Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas' advisor Sultan Abu Al-Einein immediately praised the attack as a "heroic operation" on his Facebook page. He posted graphic images showing pools of blood and dead Jews in prayer shawls, as well as a photo of the dead terrorists with a bloody butcher's knife on the ground next to them. Al-Einein referred to them as "Martyrs."  

These "Martyrs" were two Arab terrorists, Ghassan and Uday Abu Jamal from East Jerusalem, who entered a synagogue in Jerusalem and attacked worshippers with guns, knives and axes, killing 4 and injuring 8, 4 of them seriously, and one subsequently died. The terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with the Israeli Security Forces that arrived on the scene.

Speaking in the name of MPs from Abbas' Fatah movement, spokesman Jamal Tirawi announced that they "welcomed the Martyrdom-seeking operation (Istish'had) in Jerusalem," and were "escorting the Martyrs (Shahids) of the Abu Jamal family to Paradise." [Donia Al-Watan News website, Nov. 18, 2014]  

Fatah also immediately celebrated the killings, announcing on Facebook that people were "handing out candy":

"Handing out candy in the cities of the West Bank in celebration of the Jerusalem operation (i.e., the Jerusalem synagogue terror attack), which was carried out to avenge the execution of Martyr (Shahid) Yussuf Al-Ramouni and the violations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque." [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", Nov. 18, 2014]

Palestinian leaders and media have been quick to explain today's murders as a response to the alleged killing of an Arab bus driver two days ago. On Nov. 16, 2014, Yussuf Al-Ramouni, an Arab bus driver from East Jerusalem, was found hanged at a bus terminal in Jerusalem. Although an autopsy performed by the Israeli Abu Kabir Forensic Institute and a pathologist chosen by the family of Al-Ramouni revealed no signs of violence, Palestinian leaders and media immediately presented the incident as a murder perpetrated by "Jewish settlers."

Abbas' advisor Al-Einein presented today's murders of Jews as a "response" to "the assassination" of the bus driver:

"Pictures from the scene of the heroic operation (i.e., the Jerusalemsynagogue terror attack) at the religious Zionist institute, in response to the assassination of Martyr (Shahid) Yussuf Al-Ramouni 'Abu Jihad.'"

[Facebook page of Fatah Central Committee member  

Sultan Abu Al-Einein, Nov. 18, 2014]

Another Facebook page, possibly connected to Fatah, "Palestinian National Liberation Movement - Fatah," posted graphic pictures from the murder scene and wrote the following: "Pictures from the heroic operation (i.e., the synagogue terror attack) in Jerusalem. Yesterday, they said 'Death to the Arabs,' but they didn't realize that it was 'Death to the Jews.'" [Facebook page of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement - Fatah", Nov. 18, 2014]

Palestinian Media Watch has reported on Al-Einein's continuous glorification of murderers of Israeli civilians.

These responses by Fatah and Abbas' advisor glorifying the killings of innocent Israelis contradict the official response from Abbas and the Palestinian Authority, which condemned the attack:

"The President's [Abbas'] Office has always condemned the murder of citizens on any side, and today, it condemns the murder of the worshippers in the synagogue in West Jerusalem." [WAFA (the official Palestinian news agency), Nov. 18, 2014]

The announcement indirectly blamed Israel for the murders in that it went on to demand "an end to the invasions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the provocations of the settlers, and the incitement on the part of several Israeli ministers."

This is not the first time the PA and Abbas' advisors transmit contradictory messages. PMW reported that while one advisor assured that Abbas was "making sure that our people is not drawn into a cycle of violence and counter-violence", his other advisor was heating up the atmosphere for more terror attacks by praising as "heroic Martyrs" terrorists who killed four and wounded dozens.

Similarly, Fatah's spokesman Ahmad Assaf said in a statement to the press that "the attack was the natural result of the Israeli violations in Jerusalem." [Russia Today news site in Arabic, Nov. 18, 2014]  

(WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES)

 The following are the graphic images from the terrorist attack this morning posted by Fatah and Abbas' advisor on Facebook:

Fatah Central Committee member Sultan Abu Al-Einein posted the following photo and text on his Facebook page:   

Text: "Pictures from the scene of the heroic operation (i.e., the Jerusalem synagogue terror attack) at the religious Zionist institute, in response to the assassination of Martyr (Shahid) Yussuf Al-Ramouni 'Abu Jihad.'" 

This picture of the two dead terrorists was also posted on Al-Einein's Facebook page:   

[Facebook page of Fatah Central Committee member  

Sultan Abu Al-Einein, Nov. 18, 2014]  

The Facebook page of the "Palestinian National Liberation Movement" posted this image with the following text: 

Text: "Pictures from the heroic operation (i.e., the synagogue terror attack) in Jerusalem. Yesterday, they said 'Death to the Arabs,' but they didn't realize that it was 'Death to the Jews.'"

 The following are longer excerpts of the reports mentioned above:

"The President's [Abbas'] Office has always condemned the murder of citizens on any side, and today, it condemns the murder of the worshippers in the synagogue in West Jerusalem. In addition, it condemns all acts of violence regardless of their source, and demands an end to the invasions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the provocations of the settlers, and the incitement on the part of several Israeli ministers.

In addition, the President's Office emphasizes that the time has come to end the occupation and eliminate the causes of the tension and violence. We emphasize our commitment to a just solution based on the two-state solution, in keeping with the resolutions of the international institutions, and to preserving the atmosphere of calm and the understandings reached with [Jordanian] King Abdallah II and with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Amman [in November 2014]." 

[WAFA (the official Palestinian news agency), Nov. 18, 2014]