Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
PA TV has rejected the condemnation expressed by Israeli PM Netanyahu of its
honoring of the murderers of the five members of the Fogel family from the Israeli town of Itamar. Following Palestinian Media Watch's exposure that the weekly PA TV program For You, directed at Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, permitted the relatives of Hakim Awad, one of the killers of the Fogel family, to honor him on TV as "the hero - the legend," PM Netanyahu publicly condemned this in his meeting with the Irish Foreign Minister:
"The Palestinian Authority's official television broadcasts a glorification of the killers who murdered an Israeli family... We demand a prompt condemnation; I hope you demand a condemnation because the only way to move to peace is to prepare our people for peace and not for brutal terror."
[Israeli Prime Minister's Office, Jan. 29, 2012,
http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/EventsDiary/eventireland290112.htm] Last week, PA TV rejected this condemnation saying it was not honoring the killers by inviting their family members to publicly send them greetings, but that "The prisoners' program is meant for humanitarian contact." PA TV also indicated they were caught by surprise by the glorification of the terrorists as heroes, as it was "a live broadcast," during which the "mother spoke with complete spontaneity," and therefore PA TV is not responsible.
PA TV claim of ignorance and innocence is false
PA TV's claim that it does not glorify terrorists on its programming is false. For years, PA TV has had a policy of honoring terrorists specifically through this long-running weekly program and others, which present terrorists as heroes and role models. The following are some examples:
Terrorist: Abbas Al-Sayid
Crimes: Serving 35 life-sentences for sending suicide bombers to attacks that killed 35, including Park Hotel Passover suicide bombing that killed 30.
PA TV honor: PA TV visited his home and invited released terrorists and others to talk about him.
PA TV broadcast glorification by others:
Released female terrorist, Du'a Al-Jayousi: "He was an example and role model for us, we wanted very much to meet him."
Released male terrorist, Muayyad Al-Jallad: "I do not forget our neighbor and brother, Abbas Al-Sayid. He is the crown on our heads... He is honor to the nation, and there is no doubt that he makes us proud. Allah willing, he has enough patience and will... We are all familiar with his manly qualities of heroism and strength."
PA TV itself glorified the terrorist:
PA TV host: "We are outside the home of the patient, heroic fighter who is resolute, overcoming his chains, desiring freedom - Abbas Al-Sayid, the lion of the prison cells... the leader, hero, defeater of the enemies, defeater of the dungeons, and lion under interrogation."
[PA TV (Fatah), Oct. 25, 2011]
Click to view
Terrorist: Ahlam Tamimi
Crimes: Led a suicide bomber to his attack at the Sbarro pizza shop in Jerusalem in August 2001. 15 people were murdered in the attack, 7 of them children.
PA TV honor: PA TV glorified her while visiting the home of another terrorist involved in the same terror attack.
PA TV itself glorified the terrorist:
PA TV host: "We, [at] the program In a Fighter's Home, send best wishes of loyalty to Ahlam Tamimi. We wish her freedom - she and [the rest of] our glorious female prisoners. Special wishes to you, Ahlam, from the program In a Fighter's Home and from the program team, from the home of the heroic fighter prisoner, Muhammad [Wael Daghlas]. You both belong to the same group."
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 10, 2011]
Click to view
Terrorist: Muhammad Wael Daghlas
Crimes: Serving 15 life sentences for planning and sending the suicide bomber to his attack at the Sbarro pizza shop in Jerusalem.
PA TV honor: PA TV visited his home.
PA TV itself glorified the terrorist:
PA TV host: "... from the home of the heroic fighter prisoner, Muhammad [Wael Daghlas]."
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 10, 2011]
Click to view
Terrorist: Salim Hajja
Crime: Serving 16 life sentences for involvement in three suicide bombings; the bombing of the Dolphinarium night club in June 2001 in which 21 were murdered and 120 wounded; the Sbarro restaurant bombing in Aug. 2001 in which 15 people were killed and over 100 wounded; and a suicide bombing of a bus in Haifa in Dec. 2001 in which 15 were killed and 40 wounded.
PA TV honor: PA TV interviewed his family in their home.
PA TV broadcast glorification by others:
Prisoner's mother-in-law: "Praise to Allah... Omar [son of Salim] will follow in your (Salim's) footsteps, and praise to Allah he will be a hero like you, Allah willing. As Allah lives, I am proud of you, that you are the husband of my daughter. I swear to Allah - I am proud of you. My daughter's husband. I hold my head up high when someone says to me that my son-in-law is a prisoner. ... Inside, I am proud of him, that he is my son-in-law."
Prisoner's son: "Daddy is a hero. I am very proud of him."
PA TV itself glorified the terrorist:
PA TV host: "Well, come along with us, our prisoner brothers, for a visit to the family of the heroic fighter prisoner, of course - Salim Hajja, and I want to greet his father, his mother Taibe, his brother Mustafa, the whole family, his wife and his son, and of course you, Mustafa (i.e., she means Salim). Allah willing you will live a free life - you, your son, your wife and your family, in a normal way, like the other families in the world and in this country. Allah willing."
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 11, 2011]
Click to view bulletin
Terrorist: Darin Abu Aisheh
Crimes: Carried out a suicide bombing at a roadblock in 2002, wounding three Israelis.
PA TV honor: PA TV interviewed her mother in her home.
PA TV broadcast glorification by others:
Poster of the terrorist displayed in the mother's home: "The Palestinian National Liberation Movement - Fatah - Beit Wazan branch is happy to announce [the death of] the heroic Martyrdom-seeker, Darin Muhammad Tawfiq Abu Aisheh Member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades."
Darin Abu Aisheh's mother: Everyone heard what happened... I was sitting and started to sing to her. I said, 'It's the night before your wedding, Darin.' I said, 'I haven't gone mad, I'm not crazy. I want to sing, Darin is a bride.'"
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 3, 2011]
Click to view
Terrorist: Anas Jaradat
Crimes: Headed the Islamic Jihad in Jenin and was responsible for 3 car bombings in Israel, causing the death of dozens.
PA TV honor: PA TV visited his home and interviewed his father and a Fatah official about him.
PA TV broadcast glorification by others:
Jaradat's father: "I send greetings to [my son] Anas, who is a real hero. When I say 'hero' I recall all the actions which he carried out. (i.e., 3 car bombings) He is a hero in the full sense of the word. The reports that we hear confirm his heroism."
Secretary of the Fatah branch in Jenin, Ata Abu Ramila: "We say to brother Anas - the heroic Jihad-fighter prisoner Anas Jaradat - and to all the heroic prisoners: ... What Anas and all the heroic prisoners did is a glorious deed (i.e., 3 car bombings), a badge of honor for him, for his family... for our Palestinian people, and for all the free and noble people of our nation. The occupation (i.e., Israel) will pass away, Allah willing. The occupation will pass away only through the pure blood which has poured from our courageous Martyrs, and through the suffering of our heroic prisoners, first among them this heroic prisoner, Anas Jaradat."
PA TV itself glorified the terrorist:
PA TV host, addressing Jaradat's father: "You are the hero's father. We don't want to see the hero's father cry."
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 3, 2011]
Click to view
Terrorist: Amer Abu Sarhan
Crimes: Convicted of stabbing 3 Israelis to death in 1990.
PA TV honor: PA TV visited his home and interviewed the District Governor of Bethlehem about him.
PA TV broadcast glorification by others:
District Governor of Bethlehem, Abd Al-Fattah Hamayel: "I'm glad to be in this thriving home, home of the father of the heroic prisoner, Amer Abu Sarhan. We honor him greatly through you [PA TV]. To all his fellow prisoners -- the brave and heroic who are resolute in Ribat [religious conflict] -- to the glorious female prisoners in the occupation's prisons -- we salute you and express our utmost appreciation and pride."
PA TV itself glorified the terrorist:
PA TV host: "Welcome, dear viewers, to this episode about the heroic prisoner Amer Abu Sarhan from Al-Abidia."
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 2, 2011]
Click to view
Terrorist: Yusuf Shaker Al-Asi
Crimes: Built bombs for Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
PA TV honor: PA TV interviewed his mother, showing a poem and a poster of the bomb maker with an inscription praising Martyrdom for Allah.
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 2, 2011]
Click to view
Terrorist: Yasser Al-Sharbati
Crimes: Involved in planning a suicide bombing in Jerusalem.
PA TV honor: PA TV visited his family's home with PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Karake, and District Governor of Hebron, Kamel Hamid.
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 15, 2011]
The above are just a few of the many terrorists honored during the weekly broadcasts of For You and In a Fighter's Home on official PA TV, in addition to the many video clips celebrating terrorists and terror attacks, official ceremonies, and more. The policy of official PA TV is to honor and glorify terrorists and present them as role models for society.
Finally, in this specific case several facts indicate that PA TV was aware of the identity of the relatives of the Fogel killers before permitting them to speak on air:
1. The PA TV host knew who she was interviewing and introduced her as the "family of Hakim Awad" - the terrorist
2. The identity of the callers - "family of Hakim Awad" was written on the screen.
3. The interview was broadcast live on Jan. 19 and rebroadcast on Jan. 21. So even if the first time PA TV was surprised - they made a decision to rebroadcast the terrorist glorification.
PA TV is run from the office of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
The following is the PA response and denial of knowingly broadcasting glorification of the Fogel family murderers:
Headline: "PA TV: Netanyahu's claims are an attempt to hide Israel's crimes"
"PA TV said that the claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, concerning the prisoners' program [For You, a recent episode which included greetings to the murderers of the Israeli Fogel family] are meant to hide Israeli crimes, especially those against prisoners. It should be noted that Netanyahu demanded that the PA 'condemn PA TV for accepting a telephone call from the mother and aunt of prisoner Hakim Awad, who carried out the Itamar operation (i.e., Hakim Awad's killing 5 members of an Israeli family in their sleep).' In its press release, a copy of which was obtained by WAFA, PA TV emphasized today: 'The prisoners' program is meant for the purposes of [maintaining] humanitarian contact between the prisoners - especially those who are not permitted visitors - and their family members. The call on the episode of Jan. 26, 2012 was by family members of the prisoner, and in a live broadcast. What the mother said with complete spontaneity, does not reflect any official view or position of PA TV or of the Palestinian Authority.' The press release called upon anyone interested, and all journalists, to watch the filmed footage which had been aired, and not to rely on Netanyahu's words. It should be noted that official Israeli circles constantly take care to invent and blow up events, with the aim of hiding the violations, the racist activities, and the crimes against humanity which they are carrying out against our people everywhere."
[WAFA, Jan. 30, 2012]
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