Abbas honors cartoonist who promotes hate and violence
Abbas honors cartoonist
who promotes hatred and violence
Abbas gives Order of Merit for Culture,
Sciences and Arts
Sciences and Arts
to cartoonist at Palestinian daily
who glorifies Palestinian rock attacks on Israelis
Cartoonist also reinforces PA libels that Israel
- Endangers Muslim holy sites
- “Judaizes” Jerusalem
- Seeks to rule “from the Nile to the Euphrates”
and “from the Jordan to the Mediterranean”
and “from the Jordan to the Mediterranean”
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
As Palestinian terror attacks and rock throwing continue unabated, Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas has chosen to honor a cartoonist from the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam whose latest cartoons encourage Palestinian violence and rock throwing at Israelis, as shown by Palestinian Media Watch.
Abbas awarded Baha Al-Bukhari with the Palestine Order of Merit for Culture, Sciences and Arts. Abbas explained his choice, stating that Al-Bukhari received the award due to the fact that his work “fits Palestine and its resolute and full culture.”
“The president [Abbas] awarded the Order of Merit for Culture, Sciences and Arts to the creator and artist Al-Bukhari in recognition of his creative path in plastic arts and cartoons, and out of recognition of his life full of giving, actions, struggle, and beauty, in a way that fits Palestine and its resolute and full culture.”
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 22, 2015]
A recent cartoon (above) shows a whole Palestinian family prepared with rocks in their hands and ready to attack.
Text above the cartoon: "The rocks of 2015!!"
Text on man's arm: "Allah is with you, Abu Al-Abed." (name of cartoon character)
Text on man's arm: "Allah is with you, Abu Al-Abed." (name of cartoon character)
A map of "Palestine" next to the text on the arm includes the PA areas as well as all of Israel.
[Al-Ayyam, Oct. 13, 2015]
Another cartoon by Al-Bukhari encouraged more rock throwing, calling Palestinians to "Advance, advance." The cartoon shows a Palestinian throwing a rock, with a Palestinian flag in the background:
[Al-Ayyam, Oct. 9, 2015]
Al-Bukhari has also drawn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bathing in blood. The cartoon refers to the killing of 3 Palestinians including a Hamas terrorist by the Israeli army. Israeli forces came to arrest a Hamas terrorist, but he and others started shooting and subsequently the terrorist who they were seeking, and two others, were killed.
Text: "A bath in Jenin!"
[Al-Ayyam, March 23, 2014]
The cartoonist has presented Israeli President Reuven Rivlin as carrying what appears to be buckets of blood. The same cartoon adopted the PA’s libelous claim that the two stripes on the Israeli flag represent the Nile and the Euphrates or the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, representing an alleged Jewish plan to establish “Greater Israel” ruling over all of “Palestine.”
Text in corner: "[Israeli President Reuven] Rivlin and his slogan! Israel's new president"
Text on right bucket: “From the river”
Text on left bucket: “To the sea”
Text on left bucket: “To the sea”
[Al-Ayyam, June 12, 2014]
Al-Bukhari has presented Israel as an octopus wrapping its arms around Al-Aqsa Mosque, criticizing the Arab nations for “sleeping!”
[Al-Ayyam, Oct. 13, 2013]
On the same note, he prepared a cartoon that supported the PA claim that Israel “Judaizes” Jerusalem in an attempt to erase all Arab and Muslim traces in the city. The mushroom in this cartoon represents the Hurva Synagogue, which was rebuilt and restored by Israel a few years ago in the Old City of Jerusalem. The cartoon depicts the synagogue overshadowing the Dome of the Rock. The Arabic text on the mushroom literally means "destruction," but can also be translated as "Hurva Synagogue."
[Al-Ayyam, March 16, 2010]
The cartoonist has also depicted Israel as a bat and called for boycott of Israeli products:
Text on wings: "Boycott them… Israeli products"
[Al-Ayyam, Dec. 18, 2012]
The following is a longer excerpt of the report on Abbas’ award to cartoonist Al-Bukhari:
The artist receiving the Palestine Order of Merit for Culture, Sciences and Arts from PA Chairman Abbas, is a cartoonist with the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam.
Headline: “The president [Abbas] awarded the artist Al-Bukhari with the [Palestine] Order of Merit for Culture, Sciences and Arts”
“President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, awarded the artist and creator Baha Al-Bukhari the [Palestine] Order of Merit for Culture, Sciences and Arts ... during a reception held by His Honor [Mahmoud Abbas] in the presidential compound in Ramallah, in the presence of his [Al-Bukhari’s] wife and PLO Executive Committee members Mahmoud Ismail and Ahmed Majdalani, Minister of Culture Ziyad Abu Amr, and Secretary-General of the Palestinian Writers’ Union Murad Al-Sudani. The president [Abbas] awarded the Order of Merit for Culture, Sciences and Arts to the creator and artist Al-Bukhari in recognition of his creative path in plastic arts and cartoons, and out of recognition of his life full of giving, actions, struggle, and beauty, in a way that fits Palestine and its resolute and full culture.”
Photo caption: “The president [Abbas] during the reception for Al-Bukhari and his wife.”
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 22, 2015]