Terrorist Majdi al-Rimawi was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 80 years for participating in the planning and murder of Israeli Minister Rechavam Zeevi in 2001.
A few weeks ago, the city of Bezons in France decided to grant Al-Rimawi “honorary citizenship.” The inscription on the plaque prepared by the municipality of Bezons referred to Al-Rimawi as a “political prisoner.”
Al-Rimawi participated in Zeevi’s murder and was a member of the terrorist organization PFLP, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Palestinian Media Watch has documented that Palestinian terrorist prisoners are glorified by the PA and even receive PA salaries. In this case, the French city of Bezons directly supports this PA policy by itself glorifying the Palestinian terrorist.
The following is the story as reported on PA TV:
PA TV host: “The French city of Bezons awarded honorary citizenship to the prisoner Majdi al-Rimawi from the village Bani Zeid Al-Gharbiyya. This title and award were given during an official ceremony held in France, to which the wife of the prisoner, Fathiya al-Rimawi, was invited… Prisoner Majdi al-Rimawi, of course, has been jailed in the occupation’s (i.e., Israeli) prisons for 11 years and is sentenced to life imprisonment plus 50 years.”
Terrorist Al-Rimawi’s wife: “This connection between the city of Bezons and the Municipality of Bani Zeid Al-Gharbiyya began in 2008… The matter of prisoners in our region caught the attention of [our] French brothers, and they decided to honor them by granting honorary citizenship to a prisoner from this area. Of course, all prisoners deserve all the good, all the honor and all the admiration, from the smallest of them to the greatest, from the most lenient sentence to the heaviest sentence. However, as part of the historical ties [between the municipalities], and since we in the [Bani Zeid] municipality started the relationship with the French brothers, prisoner Majdi Al-Rimawi was the one chosen to be recognized and granted this honorary award. For us, the family of the prisoner, this award is a great gesture from the French [people] and [shows their] support for the issue of Palestinian prisoners in general, and in particular the issue of prisoners sentenced to long prison terms.”
“An olive branch for the Palestinians (literally “olive tree”). A state for the Palestinians on the 1967 borders. A city for peace and solidarity.”
On the right:
“In solidarity with the Palestinian people, on February 13, 2013, the city council promoted Majdi Irhima al-Rimawi (political prisoner) to the rank of honorary citizen of the city of Bezons.”
Dominique Lesparre, Mayor of the city of Bezons, spoke at the ceremony, justifying the acts of the terrorist convicted of murder, calling him a “victim.” He also defended all 4,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons as “Palestinian resistance.” The transcript of his speech was posted on his blog:
Lesparre said: “Majdi is a direct victim of this occupation… As are the 4,500 Palestinian resistance [fighters] who were imprisoned for having dared to defend their country against an occupier whose military means are oversized and whose methods constantly violate UN resolutions and international law.”