ZOA to Obama: Condemn Abbas’ anti-Semitic actions

In the space of a mere two weeks, Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) has broadcast  on PA TV indoctrinated children claiming Jews poisoned Yasser Arafat, named the ruling Fatah’s party convention after Munich Olympics Jew-killer Al-Hindi and broadcast pro-terror songs and pro-terror bands in the officially controlled PA media.

For this year’s annual commemoration of Yasser Arafat’s death, PA TV rebroadcast video clips of Palestinian children’s messages in honor of Arafat, which included hate speech against Jews, including a child saying of Arafat, “Well, I don’t know what he died from, but I know it was by the Jews.” Another child praised Arafat because he was a “fighter” who “did things through [violent] struggle,” and who “did not make peace” [PA TV (Fatah), November 10, 2009 and 2010, translations courtesy of Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, ‘“The Jews” killed Arafat- Kids’ hate speech: rebroadcast on PA TV,’ Palestinian Media Watch bulletin, November 18, 2010).

On November 24, the PA honored Munich Olympics terrorist mastermind Amin Al-Hindi when the Fifth Convention of the Fatah Revolutionary Council headed by Mahmoud Abbas was named in his honor. Abbas sat at the central table at the event with a banner beside him that read, ‘Palestinian National Liberation Movement – Fatah Fifth Convention of the Revolutionary Council Shahid (Martyr) Commander Amin Al-Hindi Convention November 24-25, 2010 Ramallah – Palestine’ (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, November 25, 2010, translation courtesy of Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, ‘Fatah again honors planner of Munich Olympics massacre,’ Palestinian Media Watch bulletin, November 25, 2010).

Also in the last two weeks, the PA’s Abbas honored and turned into an official Palestinian national band the Alashekeen band, which has performed dances and songs about conquering Israel, calling Israeli cities like Lod and Ramle Palestinian cites that will be “liberated” by jihad. It also describes Israelis as “despicable” and says that “the Palestinian revolution awaits [them]” while the band also carries a logo that includes the Palestinian flag next to the map of Israel presented as “Palestine” covered by a Kafiya, the Palestinian Arab scarf (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, November 22, 2010, translation courtesy of Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, ‘Dance group that sings about end of Israel declared national band by Abbas,’ Palestinian Media Watch bulletin, November 28, 2010).

Also last week, PA TV broadcast a song and interview with singer Amar Hasan, who sings, “The oppressors [Israelis] have gone too far. Therefore Jihad is our right …  draw your sword.” The words call for violence against Israel in the name of both Arab pride and Islam (PA TV (Fatah), November 23, 2010, translation courtesy of Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, ‘PA TV broadcasts song calling for Jihad against Israel,’ Palestinian Media Watch bulletin, November 30, 2010).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “We urge President Obama to publicly and immediately condemn this barrage of PA pro-terror, anti-peace, anti-Semitic actions by Abbas and the PA in the past two weeks.”