Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Next week, the Palestinian Authority and the PLO will be dedicating a monument to Abu Sukkar, a terrorist who murdered 15 by filling a refrigerator with explosives and detonating it on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem in 1975.
The PLO Commission of Prisoners' Affairs posted an invitation to the event on Facebook, which stated that it is being held "under the auspices of the [PLO] Commission of Prisoners' Affairs, the Ramallah and El-Bireh district, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, the Turmus Ayya municipality, and the Supreme Council for Monitoring Prisoners' Affairs." It also encouraged people to attend, stating that their presence would be "a sign of loyalty to the Martyrs and the prisoners":
"We are honored to invite you to participate in the dedication of the monument to the Martyr (Shahid) fighter Ahmad Jabarah 'Abu Sukkar'
On Sunday, July 17, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. at the village of Turmus Ayya
Your presence is a sign of loyalty to the Martyrs and the prisoners"
[Facebook page of the PLO Commission of Prisoners' Affairs, July 13, 2016]
The Director of the PLO Commission of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake and District Governor of Ramallah and El-Bireh Laila Ghannam have honored this murderer before. Last year, Palestinian Media Watch documented that the two officials called the murderer of 15 "a great fighter," promised to "follow his path," and praised him as "setting an example."In 1975 Ahmad Jabarah Abu Sukkar planned the bombing attack in which a refrigerator filled with explosives was detonated in Jerusalem. 15 people were killed and over 60 people were wounded. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years, but was released from prison after 28 years as part of a goodwill gesture from Israel to the PA in 2003. He was a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council and an advisor to Arafat on prisoners' affairs. He died of a heart attack in 2013 in the PA.
In a similar show of support for terrorism and murder, Abbas' Fatah Movement posted condolences on the occasion of the death of the father of 17-year-old suicide bomber Ayyat Al-Akhras who murdered 2 when she blew herself up in Jerusalem in 2002. The condolences were posted together with a photo of the deceased father as well as a photo of murderer Ayyat Al-Akhras.
Posted text: "The Fatah Mobilization and Organization Commission sends its warmest condolences to the dear Al-Akhras family on the death of Muhammad Lutfi Al-Akhras 'Abu Samir,' the father of Martyrdom-seeker (Istish'hada) Ayyat Al-Akhras
We ask you to pray for Allah to have mercy on the dead Muslims and the Martyrs (Shahids)
We belong to Allah, and to Him we return"
[Official Fatah Facebook page, July 13, 2016]
The PA and Fatah honor Ayyat Al-Akhras regularly and present the 17-year-old female suicide bomber as a role model for other young girls. For example, the Artas High School for Girls near Bethlehem chose to put the terrorist's picture right over the entrance to the school with the caption:
"The Heroic Martyr, Ayyat Al-Akhras"
The following is a longer excerpt of the announcement of the monument for terrorist bomber Abu Sukkar:
Text and image posted on the Facebook page of the PLO Commission of Prisoners' Affairs
Posted text: "General invitation"
Text on image:
"Invitation
Under the auspices of the [PLO] Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners' Affairs, the Ramallah and El-Bireh district, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, the Turmus Ayya municipality, and the Supreme Council for Monitoring Prisoners' Affairs
We are honored to invite you to participate in the dedication of the monument to the Martyr (Shahid) fighter Ahmad Jabarah 'Abu Sukkar'
On Sunday, July 17, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. at the village of Turmus Ayya
Your presence is a sign of loyalty to the Martyrs and prisoners"
[Facebook page of the PLO Commission of Prisoners' Affairs, July 13, 2016]
Ayyat Al-Akhras - The youngest female Palestinian suicide bomber (aged 17). A member of Fatah, Al-Akhras blew herself up near a Jerusalem supermarket on March 29, 2002, killing 2 and wounding 28. Israel transferred the terrorist's body to the PA on Feb. 2, 2014.
