Doc's Talk: Official PA daily: PMW "incites" against the PA

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Official PA daily: PMW "incites" against the PA

Following PMW's reports
that terrorist prisoners receive PA salaries,
PA Min. Karake defends the prisoners
as "lawful freedom fighters"

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=7815

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

The official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, accused Palestinian Media Watch of "inciting" against the PA, saying that PMW is trying to cut off the PA's sources of Western funding.

"'Palestinian Media Watch' [is] a Jewish organization that incites [against the PA] and speaks about Palestinian Authority aid to prisoners, describing it as support for terrorists, in order to stop financial support to the PA."

This was reported together with Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake's response to PMW reports documenting that the PA pays salaries to prisoners imprisoned in Israel for terror crimes.

Responding to PMW's reports, Minister Karake has maintained that the payments to prisoners are "humanitarian welfare assistance" to the prisoners' families and children, and that this aid is "a national, humanitarian, and moral obligation being fulfilled by the PA."

On one occasion the Minister has stated that the prisoners are"lawful freedom fighters who fought for the right of their cause and for the freedom and independence of their people." On another occasion, he said that the PA "will not abandon our prisoner sons or their families, for they are fighters who resisted the occupation's oppression."

Karake made the last comment while visiting the families of the following prisoners, who are all serving life sentences in Israel for their involvement in suicide terrorists' bombings:

Ibrahim Sarahneh - an Israeli Arab resident of the Deheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem. He drove three suicide bombers to their attacks. With his wife Irena Sarahneh, he drove a suicide bomber to his attack in Rishon LeZion in 2002 that killed two and injured many. With his brother Musa Sarahneh, he drove a female suicide bomber to a supermarket in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat HaYovel, where she killed two people. With his brother Khalil Sarahneh, he drove a suicide bomber who killed a policeman in Jerusalem in 2002.

Ashraf Hajajreh drove a suicide bomber who killed 11 people to his attack in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood of Jerusalem in 2002.

Earlier this year, Karake referred to the Palestinian prisoners in Israel as "prisoners of war and as legitimate fighters," when he explained that the aim of the International Conference for Prisoners under the auspices of the Arab League in December is to secure "recognition of prisoners in the occupation's prisons as prisoners of war and as legitimate fighters."

The Israeli government and many Western governments view Palestinian suicide bombings as terror and completely reject the PA view that those responsible for suicide bombings are "freedom fighters." PMW has reported to Western governments that even terrorists like Abdullah Barghouti, who is serving 67 life sentences for planning many suicide bombings, are receiving high monthly PA salaries. This has led to discussion in various parliaments about the justification for Western funding of the PA's general budget, which pays these salaries.

Karake is now responding to these PMW reports about the salaries to prisoners, which are causing the PA damage internationally. Karake is claiming that they are not salaries for the prisoners but social welfare for the families.

Documenting original PA sources, PMW reports show that the PA's payments to prisoners are in fact salaries and not social welfare:

The Palestinian Authority is currently paying salaries totaling approximately 17,500,000 shekels each month to all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, including mass murderers.
The word used in the PA law is Ratib (راتب) - salary; the law never mentions "social assistance" or "welfare."
The amount of the salary rises based on number of years in prison, an amount related to the severity of the terror crime and not family need.
Unmarried terrorists receive the same basic salary as those who are married and have children.
A separate small stipend is given to married prisoners with children. The average prisoner salary is over 3,000 shekels a month and can reach as high as 12,000 a month for those in prison more than 30 years. The additional stipend for a married prisoner is 300 shekels and a mere 50 shekels per child.
The terrorist prisoner is the only one who can appoint an "authorized agent" to handle his money when he is in prison. He is not obligated to give it to his wife, children, or parents.

PMW documents the PA's policy of glorifying terrorists.

The following are two recent articles reporting on Minister Karake's response to PMW's reports, one given while visiting the homes of terrorists who drove suicide bombers to their attacks:

"The Minister for Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Karake, said... 'Israel carries out political and media incitement internationally in order to stop the financial aid to the Palestinian Authority because it supports families and children of Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in the occupation's prisons.' Karake responded to an article in the British Daily Mail that quoted the organization 'Palestinian Media Watch', a Jewish organization that incites [against the PA] and speaks about Palestinian Authority aid to prisoners, describing it as support for terrorists, in order to stop financial support to the PA. Karake explained that Israel is trying to deny the legitimacy of the prisoners' national struggle, to punish their children and families, and to lay a financial siege on the PA, in an attempt at political blackmail... Karake explained that the biased Israeli campaign is intended to put political pressure on President Abbas and deter him from applying to the UN for recognition of Palestine as a non-member state, through financial pressure on the PA. He added: 'We will not abandon our prisoner sons or their families, for they are fighters who resisted the occupation's oppression. Instead of freeing them as a basic step in a process to achieve a just settlement and regional peace, Israel persists in its attempt to damage the image of the prisoners and the Palestinian national struggle in the eyes of the international community.' Karake and those accompanying him visited the families of Ramzi Abu-Zirr who was sentenced to 18 years; brothers Ibrahim, Musa, and Khalil Sarahneh who were sentenced to life imprisonment, Ashraf Hajajreh who was sentenced to life in prison, Adnan Al-Afandi who was sentenced to 30 years, Rizq Salah who was sentenced to life in prison, and Issa Abd Rabbo who was sentenced to life in prison."

[Al-Ayyam, Oct. 30, 2012]

Information about some of the terrorists whose families PA Minister Karake visited:

Ibrahim Sarahneh - an Israeli Arab resident of the Deheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem. He drove three suicide bombers to their attacks.

With his wife Irena Sarahneh, he drove a suicide bomber to his attack in Rishon LeZion in 2002 that killed two and injured many.

With his brother Musa Sarahneh, he drove a female suicide bomber to a supermarket in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat HaYovel where she killed two people.

With his brother Khalil Sarahneh, he drove a suicide bomber who killed a policeman in Jerusalem in 2002.

Ashraf Hajajreh drove the suicide bomber who killed 11 people in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood of Jerusalem in 2002.

"The Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Karake... said that recent Israeli incitement in the media against aid to families of prisoners held in the occupation's prisons is part of a policy of Israeli incitement against the National [Palestinian] Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas, and the prisoners in the occupation's prisons. It is intended to tighten the siege on the Palestinian Authority and discontinue foreign aid to it. Karake spoke in response to a recent Israeli TV Channel 2 report on aid to prisoners, (Israeli TV Channel 2 reported on PMW's first report on PA salaries to terrorist prisoners. - Ed.) and the accusation of the Palestinian government of 'supporting terrorists'... In addition, Karake explained that aid to prisoners is humanitarian welfare assistance, just like social insurance in all countries, including Israel, to help those in any society who have been hurt and experienced tragedy... Karake said: 'The prisoners and their families are victims of the occupation, and from the Palestinian Authority's inception, its laws have mandated aid to their children. And Israel knows about these laws that were passed by the Palestinian Parliament years ago.' Karake said that aid to prisoners' and Martyrs' (Shahids) families is a national, humanitarian, and moral obligation being fulfilled by the PA, and he said that the prisoners are lawful freedom fighters (i.e., "lawful combatants") who fought for the right of their cause and for the freedom and independence of their people. In addition Karake said: 'The Israeli executioner has no right to kill his victim twice, and we will not allow him to do so. All prisoners must be released, since they are victims of the most prolonged occupation in modern history. This occupation still commits the most heinous violations [of the rights] of our prisoners, violations that defy international law and the principles of human rights. And Israel is behaving like a country above the law."

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 6, 2012]

Minister Karake on prisoners "as prisoners of war":

Headline: "To be held in Iraq under auspices of the Arab League, Karake: The International Conference for Prisoners will focus on recognition of Palestinian detainees as prisoners of war"

"Karake said that the conference to be held under the auspices of the Arab League on Dec. 10-11, 2012, will focus on the request for support and pressure towards securing recognition of prisoners in the occupation's prisons as prisoners of war and as legitimate fighters."

[Al-Ayyam, Aug. 12, 2012]

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The IDF’s Minorities in Numbers and Pictures

In honor of IDF Diversity Week, we present diversity through numbers and pictures. Each year, more and more Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and immigrants from around the world take on the responsibility of defending Israel.

MUSLIMS:

Muslim Arab Israelis are not required to draft in the IDF, but there are many who volunteer. In 2013, there were over 200 Muslims serving in the IDF and over 300 in the reserves.

Bedouins:

Bedouins are nomadic Muslims who were in Israel when modern borders were set in place and are now considered Israeli citizens. They are not required to draft but a growing number choose to enlist. In 2012, there were over 1,400 Bedouin Muslim soldiers doing regular IDF service and almost 1,500 in the reserves.

Read more:http://www.idfblog.com/2014/02/27/truth-idf-numbers-pictures/#more-34027

Are you aware that in 2013, Middle class taxes go up-significantly?

In January of next year, the federal income tax rate for middle-class taxpayers is scheduled to rise from 25 percent to 28 percent, and the payroll tax is scheduled to rise from 13.3 percent to 15.3 percent… This drives the marginal tax rate based on the aforementioned three taxes to 48.12 percent. Add in state and local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes, and the percentage of each additional dollar that is taxed hovers around 50 percent… When half of each additional dollar earned is taxed away, taxpayers experience a disincentive to start businesses or expand existing ones. This leads to fewer jobs being created.

Why is HAMAS Inside Tampa Schools?

Clare Lopez

Kelly Miliziano, who teaches history classes at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa, Florida area apparently thinks it’s perfectly OK to invite a senior official of a HAMAS-affiliated organization into her classroom to discuss Islam with her students. According to local media reports, not only has this been going on for years, but in spite of the civil and criminal proceedings that could result from such reckless negligence, the Hillsborough County school superintendent, Mary Ellen Elia, and the chairman of the school board, Candy Olson, also expressed approval for students under their responsibility to be exposed repeatedly to guest speaker, Hassan Shibly, who is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the Tampa area.
More...

Did You Know... Ignoring the Call to Islam will Bring Jihad

‘Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing] that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.’
-- Yousef al-Qaradawi , Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader The Arabic word ‘Da’wa’ means the “call to Islam.” But do not think that Da’wa is the same thing as an invitation to an optional holiday event. The classical Islamic doctrine of jihad mandates that enemies must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax before it is permissible to attack them.
Clare M. Lopez

Who is being discriminated-facts tell the truth

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,409 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-bias offenses showed:

65.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
13.2 percent were anti-Islamic.
9.5 percent were anti-other religion, i.e., those not specified.
4.3 percent were anti-Catholic.
3.8 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
3.3 percent were anti-Protestant.
0.5 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses.

On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview

with PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

In March 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO executive, said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

The Arab Apartheid

Ben-Dror Yemini
In 1948, the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition proposal and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel which had barely been established. All precedents in this matter showed that the party that starts the war - and with a declaration of annihilation, yet - pays a price for it. Between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled because of the war and a larger number of 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the "Jewish nakba").
Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time, occurring in dozens of other conflict points and affecting about 52 million people. In all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. Instead of assimilating the refugees, they crushed them despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation - instituting a regime of apartheid. So the "nakba" was not caused by the actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The "nakba" is the story of the apartheid, oppression, abuse and denial of rights suffered by the Arab refugees at the hands of the Arab countries. (Maariv)

International Law and Military Operations in Practice - Col. Richard Kemp

"Islamist fighting groups study the international laws of armed conflict carefully and they understand it well. They know that a British or Israeli commander and his men are bound by international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it. They then do their utmost to exploit what they view as one of their enemy's main weaknesses. Their very modus operandi is built on the correct assumption that Western armies will normally abide by the rules, while these insurgents employ a deliberate policy of operating consistently outside international law. "

Lost Historical Moments

What Rabin’s last Knesset speech really said:repudiation of a Palestinian state

Rabin ruled out a fully sovereign Palestinian state :

“We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority.”

Rabin ruled out a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and thus a return to the pre-June 1967 borders :

“The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”

Rabin ruled out withdrawing form the Jordan Valley:

“The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Rabin ruled out uprooting settlement blocs, like the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza (which was subsequently uprooted by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon):

“The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

AND

Rabin ruled out removing any settlement before coming to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians:

“I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.”

Rabin insisted on Israel retaining full security control of the borders with Egypt and Jordan, contrary to Israel’s relinquishment of the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt:

“The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands.”

Correcting Oslo Myths-Part 2

3) Kuttab laments that the post-1993 Oslo process resulted in a Palestinian Authority "whose ministers and legislators are not guaranteed passage between Gaza and the West Bank ...."

Before free passage or other perquisites, PA leaders were obligated, among other things, to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, end anti-Israeli, antisemitic incitement in schools, mosques, and communications media, and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. They met none of these commitments, sometimes bolstering terrorism and greatly increasing incitement.

4) Kuttab complains that under Oslo the PA got "lightly armed police ---- but no real sovereignty over the land or contiguity between our communities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Oslo agreements repeatedly were revised, regardless of Palestinian non-compliance, until the authorized number of police grew from 8,000 to 40,000. Though they were to be the only armed forces in the territories, Israeli estimates early in the second intifada put the number of gunmen - police, "security services," terrorists, and armed gangs - at 85,000. Their armament reportedly included not only heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but also anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

Sovereignty was to be negotiated in the envisioned 1998 "final status" talks - after a five-year period of confidence-building. Palestinian leadership chronically undermined the process. Palestinian terrorism made the 1993 - 1998 Oslo period more deadly for Israelis than the 15 years preceding it.

The United States doesn't have contiguity between the lower 48 states and Alaska and Hawaii; territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip - that is, through the 20 miles of Israeli territory between them - was never promised and would destroy Israeli contiguity.

5) "Palestinians have been made to endure hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, an eight-foot wall deep in our territories, and tight Israeli control over borders."

The security barrier is not "deep in Palestinian territories," but rather encompasses less than 8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and is mostly a fence, rarely a wall; the land in question is not "our [Palestinian] territories" but disputed territory to which, according to the authors of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, Jews as well as Arabs have claims; and there are no international borders, only the 1949 armistice lines with Jordan. Under 242, borders remain to be negotiated. As for checkpoints - like the security barrier and "tight Israeli control" - Palestinian Arabs precipitated these measures themselves. No terrorism and there would be no fence or tight Israeli control and few checkpoints - like before the first intifada.

Correcting Some Oslo Myths

1) In Oslo "Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders promised that ... Palestinian sovereignty would be solidified."

No, they didn't. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent Oslo agreements outlined a process by which final status negotiations about the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be reached. The process required an end to anti-Israel terrorism and incitement and a commitment to peaceful negotiations. The PA, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and other terrorist groups, sabotaged the process from the start.

2) "The reality is that, in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which states that it is inadmissible to occupy land by force, Palestinian territories are still under foreign military occupation."
Wrong again. Resolution 242 (1967) does note "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." It also affirms the right of every state in the area "to live in peace with secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." There were no "Palestinian territories." Jordan occupied the West Bank, Egypt controlled Gaza. Israel did not have "secure and recognized boundaries," so retention of some of those territories was possible under 242. Israel is not a "foreign" military occupier in the West Bank but, pending final negotiations, the lawful military administrator as a result of a successful war of self-defense.

Doc's Talk