The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has pointed to a recent declaration by a senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official, Ashraf Khatib, that Israel must free all jailed Palestinian terrorists, even if they have murdered Israelis during the current negotiations. The ZOA has condemned this astounding, obscene, Nazi-like PA position that any Palestinian who murders an Israeli is entitled to immediate freedom, which amounts to a warrant for murdering Jews, free of consequences.

 In a interview with Dr. Aaron Lerner of Independent Media Review and Analysis (IMRA), Khatib was asked:

 IMRA “If someone were to now – I am not talking about the past but right now someone were to engage in an act of violence and they were detained by the Israelis, is the position of the PLO that somebody who engages in an act of violent resistance right now and is detained by Israel should ultimately be freed by Israel or does he have a different status? That he can be subject to a trial and imprisoned, etc..?

KHATIB “The PLO position is very clear. All prisoners should be released. Now there is an agreement that’s set by the American side to release the 120 pre-Oslo prisoners. Our demand is to release all prisoners. These prisoners are in Israeli prisons. And they should all be released.

IMRA “So even right now as the negotiations are underway. Even if he carries out an act right now he should also be released if he is detained by Israel.

KHATIB “Again. The PLO position is very clear: All prisoners. All Palestinians in Israeli prisons should be released. There should not be a single Palestinian detainee in an Israeli prison. Now Or tomorrow. (‘Recording: PLO official to IMRA: Israel must release anyone who attacks during the talks,’ Independent Media Review & Analysis, December 30, 2013).

 ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “Ashraf Khatib’s statement that Palestinians who murder and maim Israelis should simply be freed by Israel, not tried or imprisoned, even if they carried out their attack yesterday, today or tomorrow, is breathtakingly obscene. It is something with which Adolf Hitler and Adolf Eichmann would fully agree and are smiling from their graves.

 “This amounts to asserting that Palestinians may murder Israelis as of right now, and that therefore the idea that they require conviction and imprisonment has no application. If implemented, this position would permit the murder of Israeli civilians by Palestinians without fear of punishment or retribution. it would establish the principle that Palestinians have the right to murder Jews.

 “We urge the Israeli Government and the U.S. Government to demand a public retraction of and apology for this despicable PA position.”