Incitement to hatred and violence against Israel continues undiminished within Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA), In the space of the past two weeks, PA TV rebroadcast a popular song which refers to Tiberias, Acre, Haifa, and Jaffa – all cities within Israel as being part of “my country Palestine”; and the ‘Palestine in the Eyes of the Children of Martyrs (Shahids) Summer Camp,’ – in which the participating children were divided into groups named after Palestinian terrorists Yasser Arafat, Salah Khalaf, Abu Ali Mustapha and Dalal Mughrabi – was held upon the auspices of PA prime minister Salaam Fayyad, often wrongly described as a “moderate” and peace-maker.
The song broadcast on PA TV contains the following lyrics:
“Oh flying bird, circling around,
by Allah, oh traveling [bird], I burn with envy.
My country Palestine is beautiful.
Turn to Safed, and then to Tiberias,
and send regards to the sea of Acre and Haifa.
Don’t forget Nazareth – the Arab fortress,
and tell Beit Shean about its people’s return.
Oh flying bird, circling around…
by Allah, oh traveling [brid], I burn with envy.
My country Palestine is beautiful.
… .
Go to Jenin and bring me from its valley
greeting to Nablus, Tulkarem and their soil.
Drink the water of Jaffa’s port,
don’t forget Ramle and Ramallah.
Oh flying bird, circling around…
by Allah, oh traveling [bird], I burn with envy.
My country Palestine is beautiful” (‘PA TV rebroadcasts song: Tiberias, Acre, Haifa, and Jaffa are in “my country Palestine,”’ Palestinian TV (Fatah) – July 13, 2011, Palestinian Media Watch).
The report on the conclusion of the Fayyad-sponsored PA summer camp stated, “The head of the PA’s Public Relations Department of the Shahid Salah Khalaf Center, Nojoud Daraghmeh, announced the conclusion of the ‘Palestine in the Eyes of the Children of Martyrs (Shahids) Summer Camp’, which took place under the auspices of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and was organized by the National Association of Families of Palestine’s Martyrs. [The summer camp was held] under the supervision of the National Committee of Summer Camps and with the participation of 70 boys and girls, the children and siblings of Martyrs from all [West] Bank districts. The summer camp included numerous activities and events. Participants were divided into four groups, named after leaders and fighters: Martyr (Shahid) President Yasser Arafat, Martyr Commander Salah Khalaf, Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa, and Martyr Dalal Mughrabi. Several senior Palestinian Authority officials visited the summer camp, headed by [PM] Salam Fayyad and Fatah Central Committee members Jamal Muhaisen and Sultan Abu Al-Einein… A closing ceremony at the end of the summer camp was held under the auspices of Fayyad… who gave out awards [to officials involved in the summer camp]” (‘Fayyad sponsors summer camp that names children’s groups after terrorists,’ Al-Ayyam – July 20, 2011, Palestinian Media Watch).
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “President Obama said in May that Mahmoud Abbas must ‘do everything he can to prevent acts of incitement or delegitimization of Israel.’ He also said later that month that ‘we will hold the Palestinians accountable for their actions and for their rhetoric.’ Given the poisonous rhetoric and anti-peace actions emanating from the PA in the last two weeks alone, the ZOA renews its call upon President Obama to publicly and immediately condemn the PA. We urge him to do so in light of the fact that the U.S. under his presidency has doubled U.S. taxpayer’s aid to Abbas’ PA to nearly $1 billion in the past year even as the PA continues to incite Palestinians to hatred and murder, glorifies terrorists and brainwashes a new generation into believing terrorism is a sacred duty. We particularly urge him to discontinue funding to the PA, as recently urged on a bipartisan basis by the overwhelming majority of Congress.”