Palestinian incitement is leading to murder. Illustrative banner of terrorists and Dome of the Rock. By Joshua Spurlock
At the end of a brutal week in which multiple Israeli civilians were murdered in terror attacks, the Israelis have decided to take a new step to counter official Palestinian incitement for terrorism—cutting off funding for terrorist families paid by the Palestinian government. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu last week instructed that the amount of money used by the Palestinian Authority (PA) for such ends be deducted from monthly tax revenues that Israel transfers to the PA. Israel assists the PA’s government’s income by collecting and transferring those funds over.
“The Palestinian Authority transfers funds to terrorists by various laundering methods; the more severe the acts of terrorism, the greater the amount of funds,” said a press release from the Netanyahu’s office. “…Israel believes that the encouragement of terrorism by the Palestinian leadership—in the form of both incitement and payments to terrorists and their families—constitutes incentive for murder.” Evidence of such incitement is disturbingly easy to find.
Israeli Prime Minister’s Office spokesman Ofir Gendelman tweeted on Sunday that the political faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas—Fatah—has “offered condolences to families of dead Palestinian terrorists, wished that jailed terrorists will be freed.”
Separately, Gendelman tweeted a photo of the Palestinian governor of Hebron paying his respects to the family of a terrorist that killed an Israeli girl.
Sometimes, it’s the lack of comment from the Palestinian government that can speak loudly too. IDF Spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner tweeted that a lack of condemnation for terror by Palestinian leadership was among four key reasons he blamed for the spike in terrorism. The end of the month-long holiday of Ramadan, “inspiration from perceived ‘successes’” and social media were the others.
The current wave of terror has certainly taken it’s toll on Israel. The IDF Spokesperson tweeted that in the last nine months, more than 200 terror attacks have been carried out against Israelis. The victims have ranged from Israeli soldiers to the elderly to children.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, in comments to the family of Israeli teenager Hallel Yaffa Ariel murdered in her bed last week, underscored the depths of this fight against terror.
“”We are in a battle against evil,” said Rivlin according to a press release from his office. “There is no doubt that we will overcome… We will fight against evil, we will fight against injustice; those who want to live with us in peace, will live with us in peace.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, July 3, 2016)