Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA), to which the Obama Administration recently increased U.S. aid by $150 million on top of $739 million given to the PA during 2010, continues to engage in blood-curdling demonization of Israel and Jews. This week, an article in the official PA daily, Al Hayat al-Jadida, described as Israel a country “whose aim is destruction and ruin of humanity … which disseminates destruction, ruin and weapons in the world … which acts to kill nations, to threaten them and to occupy their land … which acts to disseminate the culture of hatred and racism among human beings.”

The same article referred to the fire that swept Israel’s Mount Carmel as “the fire that broke out in the occupied Palestinian Carmel Mountains” before adding, “Israel – whose preparations for destruction and war we hear about daily – is now unable to protect nature, which belongs to [all] mankind. This is a natural outcome for a country whose aim is destruction and ruin of humanity” (Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, ‘PA daily: Israel’s aim is “destruction and ruin of humanity,”’ Palestinian Media Watch bulletin, December 28, 2010).

This latest piece of dehumanization of Israel and Jews follows a period of weeks in which the PA has engaged in demonization of Israel, denial of Jewish religious or historical connection to the land and encouragement of war and terrorism against her:

·         The PA published a “study,” by Al-Mutawakel Taha, a senior PA Ministry of Information official, subsequently endorsed by the PA-controlled Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, that claims that Jerusalem’s Western Wall belongs to Muslims, is an integral part of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Haram al-Sharif (the Islamic term for the Temple Mount complex, meaning the Noble Sanctuary), and that, “The Zionist occupation falsely and unjustly claims that it owns this wall, which it calls the Western Wall or Kotel … Al-Buraq Wall is in fact the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque … This wall was never part of the so-called Temple Mount, but Muslim tolerance allowed the Jews to stand in front of it and weep over its destruction”(Khaled Abu Toameh, ‘Jews have no right to Western Wall, PA “study” says,’ Jerusalem Post, November 22, 2010).

·         The 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).

·         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).

·         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).

·         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 Chairman of the Board Dr. Michael Goldblatt said, “We see in these and countless earlier examples the undeniable fact that Abbas’ PA indulges in obscene anti-Semitic incitement. We are not talking here of mere bigotry, nastiness or even ordinary hatred, but of the darkest, anti-Semitic invective that dehumanizes Jews and the Jewish state of Israel as being apart from humanity and bent on its destruction. This is the sort of propaganda that is central to anti-Semitism and was used extensively by the Nazis, something Abbas, himself a Holocaust denier, must know only too well.

“As we noted at the time, the Obama Administration did condemn the PA ‘study’ denying Jewish connection to Jerusalem’s Western Wall, an act we commended at the time. Regrettably, we have seen no condemnation of all these other vile utterances and anti-peace, pro-terror acts by Abbas and the PA.

“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 months.”