Michael Ejercito
2018-06-28 11:18:39 UTC
What Prince William Did Not See in Ramallah
by Bassam Tawil
June 28, 2018 at 5:00 am
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12612/prince-william-ramallah
It seems that Abbas and Israel have different views on how terrorism should
be combated. Abbas seems to think that paying salaries to convicted
terrorists and their families is a good first step in that direction.
Prince William just spread smiles around as Abbas was talking about the
Palestinians' "serious" desire to achieve peace with Israel and their
"commitment" to combating terrorism.
The Palestinian leadership does not want the prince and the rest of the
world to know about the conflicting messages they send to their people and
to the rest of the world. The message to the Palestinians: We support anyone
who murders a Jew and will take care of their families if they are killed or
imprisoned by Israel. The message to Prince William and other world leaders
and dignitaries: We are committed to peace and the war on terrorism.
As chance would have it, on the very day that the prince was in Ramallah,
the Palestinian Authority was repeating its pledge to continue funding
terrorists and their families. One hopes that Prince William enjoyed his
visit to Ramallah. One also hopes that he asks his advisors to translate for
him what Palestinian leaders are saying to their own people in Arabic.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas shared some interesting news
with England's Prince William during a meeting in Ramallah on June 27. He
informed the royal visitor that the Palestinians are "serious about reaching
peace with Israel." Abbas also said that the Palestinians were "committed to
combating terrorism."
What makes this news interesting is that as Abbas was speaking to Prince
William in his Ramallah headquarters, known as the Mukata, the Palestinian
government issued a statement praising Palestinian terrorists imprisoned by
Israel. The Ramallah-based government also vowed to continue paying salaries
to Palestinians convicted of murdering and injuring Jews, defying Israeli
and American demands to stop the payments.
The Palestinian government's pledge to continue supporting the terrorists
and their families financially came in response to a new Israeli law that
allows the Israeli government to deduct funds that are supposed to be
transferred to the Palestinian Authority commensurate with the amount of
money the Palestinians pay to the terrorists and their families.
The Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee approved the law this
week, on June 27. The bill, which was proposed by MK Avi Dichter (Likud) and
MK Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid), states that welfare payments paid by the
Palestinian Authority to the terrorists and their relatives will be deducted
from tax revenues Israel transfers each month to the Palestinian Authority.
The money withheld would instead go into a fund designated to help victims
of Palestinian terror attacks.
Abbas and his government are outraged by the new Israeli law, which comes in
the context of Israel's effort to combat terrorism -- the same terrorism
that the Palestinian leader claims he is "committed" to fighting. They see
nothing wrong with funding terrorists and their families.
It seems that Abbas and Israel have different views on how terrorism should
be combated. Abbas seems to think that paying salaries to convicted
terrorists and their families is a good first step in that direction.
For some reason, Prince William, who sat next to Abbas when the Palestinian
leader made his statement about combating terrorism, did not bother to ask
the Palestinian leader about the payments to the terrorists and their
families. Nor did the visiting prince deem it necessary to ask his host
about the Palestinian Authority's long-standing tradition of glorifying
terrorists who target Jews. Instead, Prince William just spread smiles
around as Abbas was talking about the Palestinians' "serious" desire to
achieve peace with Israel and their "commitment" to combating terrorism.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge meets Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas during an official visit to in Ramallah, on June 27, 2018.
(Photo by Joe Giddens - Pool/Getty Images)
The prince must have been unaware of what the Palestinian government had to
say about convicted terrorists during his visit to Ramallah. In case the
prince still does not know, here is a translated excerpt from the
Palestinian government's statement (which was issued while the prince was
meeting with Abbas): "Palestinian prisoners are our national icons and
symbols of defending freedom and dignity and confronting oppression and
subjugation." The Palestinian government vowed that it would "not abandon
the prisoners and the families of the martyrs."
It is worth noting that the "martyrs" that Abbas's government is talking
about are in fact Palestinian terrorists, who were killed by the Israeli
army or police during attacks on Jews. The "martyrs" also include
Palestinians who blew themselves up during suicide bombings in Israel.
Abbas, like the vast majority of the Palestinians, consider terrorists who
killed or maimed Jews as heroes, shaheeds (martyrs) and role models. Of
course, there is nothing new about the Palestinian tradition of glorifying
terrorists, and much has been said about the policy of naming schools and
squares after Jew-murderers in Palestinian cities, villages and refugee
camps in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In addition to the government's statement, another Palestinian Authority
institution, The Commission for Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Detainees,
described the Palestinian terrorists as "soldiers of freedom and dignity."
The commission was responding to the new Israeli anti-terrorism law. In
sharp contrast to Abbas's message of peace during his meeting with Prince
William, the commission denounced Israel as a "fascist" state that engages
in "piracy and theft" of Palestinian funds. "The Palestinian people,
government and leadership will not abandon the prisoners and the families of
the martyrs," the commission said in a strongly worded statement. The
Palestinian terrorists, it added, "have sacrificed their lives and souls for
the sake of their people and homeland and the entire humanity."
On the eve of Prince William's visit, the Palestinian Authority inaugurated
a monument commemorating the "martyrs" of Ramallah. At the ceremony, the
mayor of Ramallah praised the "martyrs" and described them as "great"
fighters who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their people and
homeland.
Predictably, Prince William was not taken by his Palestinian hosts to see
the monument erected in the old city of Ramallah to honor Palestinian
terrorists. Instead, he was escorted by his Palestinian hosts to enjoy
falafel, hummus and kenafah sweets and attend a musical presentation on the
streets of Ramallah.
But the choice to share candy rather than training for terrorism makes sense
good sense, from the Palestinian point of view.
The last thing the Palestinians want is for the prince and his entourage to
see a monument honoring terrorists. That would stand in sharp contrast to
Abbas's claim that the Palestinians are committed to combating terrorism and
serious about achieving peace with Israel.
The Palestinian leadership sought to protect the prince from the double-talk
and hypocrisy of Abbas and his cronies. They do not want the prince and the
rest of the world to know about the conflicting messages they send to their
people and to the rest of the world. The message to the Palestinians: We
support anyone who murders a Jew and will take care of their families if
they are killed or imprisoned by Israel. The message to Prince William and
other world leaders and dignitaries: We are committed to peace and the war
on terrorism.
Prince William may have received a red-carpet reception in Ramallah, but he
left the city ignorant of the dark side of Palestinian culture --
particularly the part concerning the glorification of terrorists and the
ongoing anti-Israel incitement. Falafel and hummus are just the beginning of
what is happening on the Palestinian street and in the mosques and the
media.
As chance would have it, on the very day that the prince was in Ramallah,
the Palestinian Authority was repeating its pledge to continue funding
terrorists and their families. One hopes that Prince William enjoyed his
visit to Ramallah. One also hopes that he asks his advisors to translate for
him what Palestinian leaders are saying to their own people in Arabic.
Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.
---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com
by Bassam Tawil
June 28, 2018 at 5:00 am
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12612/prince-william-ramallah
It seems that Abbas and Israel have different views on how terrorism should
be combated. Abbas seems to think that paying salaries to convicted
terrorists and their families is a good first step in that direction.
Prince William just spread smiles around as Abbas was talking about the
Palestinians' "serious" desire to achieve peace with Israel and their
"commitment" to combating terrorism.
The Palestinian leadership does not want the prince and the rest of the
world to know about the conflicting messages they send to their people and
to the rest of the world. The message to the Palestinians: We support anyone
who murders a Jew and will take care of their families if they are killed or
imprisoned by Israel. The message to Prince William and other world leaders
and dignitaries: We are committed to peace and the war on terrorism.
As chance would have it, on the very day that the prince was in Ramallah,
the Palestinian Authority was repeating its pledge to continue funding
terrorists and their families. One hopes that Prince William enjoyed his
visit to Ramallah. One also hopes that he asks his advisors to translate for
him what Palestinian leaders are saying to their own people in Arabic.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas shared some interesting news
with England's Prince William during a meeting in Ramallah on June 27. He
informed the royal visitor that the Palestinians are "serious about reaching
peace with Israel." Abbas also said that the Palestinians were "committed to
combating terrorism."
What makes this news interesting is that as Abbas was speaking to Prince
William in his Ramallah headquarters, known as the Mukata, the Palestinian
government issued a statement praising Palestinian terrorists imprisoned by
Israel. The Ramallah-based government also vowed to continue paying salaries
to Palestinians convicted of murdering and injuring Jews, defying Israeli
and American demands to stop the payments.
The Palestinian government's pledge to continue supporting the terrorists
and their families financially came in response to a new Israeli law that
allows the Israeli government to deduct funds that are supposed to be
transferred to the Palestinian Authority commensurate with the amount of
money the Palestinians pay to the terrorists and their families.
The Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee approved the law this
week, on June 27. The bill, which was proposed by MK Avi Dichter (Likud) and
MK Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid), states that welfare payments paid by the
Palestinian Authority to the terrorists and their relatives will be deducted
from tax revenues Israel transfers each month to the Palestinian Authority.
The money withheld would instead go into a fund designated to help victims
of Palestinian terror attacks.
Abbas and his government are outraged by the new Israeli law, which comes in
the context of Israel's effort to combat terrorism -- the same terrorism
that the Palestinian leader claims he is "committed" to fighting. They see
nothing wrong with funding terrorists and their families.
It seems that Abbas and Israel have different views on how terrorism should
be combated. Abbas seems to think that paying salaries to convicted
terrorists and their families is a good first step in that direction.
For some reason, Prince William, who sat next to Abbas when the Palestinian
leader made his statement about combating terrorism, did not bother to ask
the Palestinian leader about the payments to the terrorists and their
families. Nor did the visiting prince deem it necessary to ask his host
about the Palestinian Authority's long-standing tradition of glorifying
terrorists who target Jews. Instead, Prince William just spread smiles
around as Abbas was talking about the Palestinians' "serious" desire to
achieve peace with Israel and their "commitment" to combating terrorism.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge meets Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas during an official visit to in Ramallah, on June 27, 2018.
(Photo by Joe Giddens - Pool/Getty Images)
The prince must have been unaware of what the Palestinian government had to
say about convicted terrorists during his visit to Ramallah. In case the
prince still does not know, here is a translated excerpt from the
Palestinian government's statement (which was issued while the prince was
meeting with Abbas): "Palestinian prisoners are our national icons and
symbols of defending freedom and dignity and confronting oppression and
subjugation." The Palestinian government vowed that it would "not abandon
the prisoners and the families of the martyrs."
It is worth noting that the "martyrs" that Abbas's government is talking
about are in fact Palestinian terrorists, who were killed by the Israeli
army or police during attacks on Jews. The "martyrs" also include
Palestinians who blew themselves up during suicide bombings in Israel.
Abbas, like the vast majority of the Palestinians, consider terrorists who
killed or maimed Jews as heroes, shaheeds (martyrs) and role models. Of
course, there is nothing new about the Palestinian tradition of glorifying
terrorists, and much has been said about the policy of naming schools and
squares after Jew-murderers in Palestinian cities, villages and refugee
camps in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In addition to the government's statement, another Palestinian Authority
institution, The Commission for Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Detainees,
described the Palestinian terrorists as "soldiers of freedom and dignity."
The commission was responding to the new Israeli anti-terrorism law. In
sharp contrast to Abbas's message of peace during his meeting with Prince
William, the commission denounced Israel as a "fascist" state that engages
in "piracy and theft" of Palestinian funds. "The Palestinian people,
government and leadership will not abandon the prisoners and the families of
the martyrs," the commission said in a strongly worded statement. The
Palestinian terrorists, it added, "have sacrificed their lives and souls for
the sake of their people and homeland and the entire humanity."
On the eve of Prince William's visit, the Palestinian Authority inaugurated
a monument commemorating the "martyrs" of Ramallah. At the ceremony, the
mayor of Ramallah praised the "martyrs" and described them as "great"
fighters who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their people and
homeland.
Predictably, Prince William was not taken by his Palestinian hosts to see
the monument erected in the old city of Ramallah to honor Palestinian
terrorists. Instead, he was escorted by his Palestinian hosts to enjoy
falafel, hummus and kenafah sweets and attend a musical presentation on the
streets of Ramallah.
But the choice to share candy rather than training for terrorism makes sense
good sense, from the Palestinian point of view.
The last thing the Palestinians want is for the prince and his entourage to
see a monument honoring terrorists. That would stand in sharp contrast to
Abbas's claim that the Palestinians are committed to combating terrorism and
serious about achieving peace with Israel.
The Palestinian leadership sought to protect the prince from the double-talk
and hypocrisy of Abbas and his cronies. They do not want the prince and the
rest of the world to know about the conflicting messages they send to their
people and to the rest of the world. The message to the Palestinians: We
support anyone who murders a Jew and will take care of their families if
they are killed or imprisoned by Israel. The message to Prince William and
other world leaders and dignitaries: We are committed to peace and the war
on terrorism.
Prince William may have received a red-carpet reception in Ramallah, but he
left the city ignorant of the dark side of Palestinian culture --
particularly the part concerning the glorification of terrorists and the
ongoing anti-Israel incitement. Falafel and hummus are just the beginning of
what is happening on the Palestinian street and in the mosques and the
media.
As chance would have it, on the very day that the prince was in Ramallah,
the Palestinian Authority was repeating its pledge to continue funding
terrorists and their families. One hopes that Prince William enjoyed his
visit to Ramallah. One also hopes that he asks his advisors to translate for
him what Palestinian leaders are saying to their own people in Arabic.
Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.
---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com
