Palestinian football tournament named after murderer who stabbed two to death last month
Palestinian football tournament
named after murderer
who stabbed two to death last month
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Terrorist Muhannad Halabi murdered two Israeli civilians and wounded the wife and infant of one of them, in a stabbing attack in the Old City of Jerusalem in October. Now, the Yasser Arafat Youth Center in Jenin has named a football tournament after the murderer.
Headline: "Bal'a Club wins the Martyr Halabi cup for football"
"The Martyr Yasser Arafat Youth Center (Al-Attara - Jenin) succeeded in organizing the first football tournament named after Martyr (Shahid) Muhannad Halabi, which took place on its football fields. The final game was played by the Yasser Arafat Youth Center and Bal'a, which rightly won the title."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 2, 2015]
Palestinian Media Watch has reported on official PA gestures in honor of this murderer. A PA municipality named a street after him and the mayor said, "This is the least we can do for Martyr Halabi." Abbas' Fatah movement brought soil from the Al-Aqsa Mosque to his grave. Private institutions and people have also honored terrorist Halabi, with the PA Bar Association awarding him an honorary law degree and parents in Gaza naming their newborn son after the murderer.
It is not surprising that private institutions and organizations like the Jenin youth club decide to honor murderers who have killed Israelis. Glorification of terrorist murderers is a practice repeatedly carried out by the PA and Fatah, as documented by PMW.
During the current terror wave alone, with numerous attacks carried out against Israelis, many official PA and Fatah institutions and leaders have honored and glorified the terrorists who have stabbed and shot at Israelis.
For example, the PA Ministry of Education issued the following press release on Oct. 8, 2015, only a few days after terrorist Halabi murdered two and Hamas terrorists murdered two Israeli parents in front of their four children, and several others were wounded in additional stabbing attacks. A big red sign with the text: "Very important notice" appeared below the press release, which expressed the ministry's as well as the Palestinian Teachers' Union's "appreciation of the sacrifice of our people, and their efforts to support the heroic epic battle in Jerusalem" and included "greetings of admiration for the Martyrs":
"In the name of Allah the All-Merciful
Press release from the [PA] Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the General Union of Palestinian teachers:
On Oct. 7, 2015, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, led by Minister [of Education and Higher Education] Sabri Saidam, met with representatives of the General Union of Palestinian Teachers, led by [Secretary-General of the General Union of Palestinian Teachers] Ahmed Sahwil, in the presence of members of the General Secretariat of the union and secretaries of the homeland branches.
During the meeting, both sides expressed their appreciation of the sacrifice of our people, and their efforts to support the heroic epic battle in Jerusalem, embodying loyalty to our national principles.They sent greetings of admiration for the Martyrs (Shahids), the wounded, and the prisoners, whose position has formed the basis for our righteous cause which continues blazing the memories of generations... Glory and eternity to our pure-hearted Martyrs, a speedy recovery to our injured, and freedom to our prisoners."
[PA Ministry of Education's official Facebook page, Oct. 8, 2015]
See PMW's recent report on PA education, which shows that terror glorification is an integral part of PA education of Palestinian children.
The following is additional information about the terror attacks mentioned above:
On Oct. 1, Israelis Naama and Eitam Henkin were murdered in a shooting attack on the road between Itamar and Elon Moreh, near the Palestinian city Nablus. Their four children, aged 9, 7, 4, and 4 months, were also in the car and witnessed the murders, but were not physically injured. Five Hamas members were arrested by Israel and confessed to the murders.
On Oct. 3, 2015, Palestinian terrorist Muhannad Halabi, 19, attacked Israeli citizen Aharon Bennet, 21, and his family, who were on their way back from prayer at the Western Wall through the Old City of Jerusalem. The terrorist killed Aharon and Israeli citizen Nehemia Lavi, who came to the family's aid, and injured Aharon's wife and 2-year-old son. Following the attack, the terrorist was shot and killed by Israeli security forces. Prior to his attack, in a post on Facebook, the terrorist justified his killings, stating that the attack was a response to Israel's actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This echoes PA incitement and is a reference to the PA libel that Israel is plotting to take over and destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to the PA's portrayal of Jews praying on the Temple Mount as "an invasion of the Al-Aqsa Mosque."