The latest fashion craze in the PA areas and among some Israeli Arabs are shirts and pants with an M-16 rifle printed on them.
They became popular as a show of support for the murder of Israelis immediately after Palestinian terrorist Diya Hamarsheh murdered 5 in Bnei Brak (near Tel Aviv) last month, and was shown on TV and social media shooting at Israeli victims with his M-16 rifle.
Pictures of the terrorist with the M-16 rifle he used to murder 5 Israelis.
A Palestinian storeowner described the phenomenon to Al-Arab, an independent UK Arab news website:
“‘The demand for this kind of clothing is huge. I think that the reason for this is the situation in Palestine recently, and particularly in Jenin’ …Abu Hamza noted that in 10 days he sold approximately 12,000 shirts or pants that also have the print on them, and that he ordered 12,000 additional units due to ‘the huge demand.’”
[Al-Arab, independent Arab news website (UK), April 22, 2022]
It is not surprising that these shirts are especially popular in Jenin. Most of the terrorist murderers, including those who killed using an M-16 rifle, were from the Jenin region.
Al-Arab further explains:
“Palestinian and Israeli academics and politicians say that the attacks that Palestinians recently carried out against Israeli targets, which in some of them M-16 weapons were used, ‘have become an inspiring symbol for many young Palestinians, which increases their desire to copy those carrying out [the attacks].’”
Palestinian popular support for these murderers reflects the support coming from the Palestinian leadership. Palestinian Media Watch has documented that Fatah leaders, after calling for terror and violence for months, is now expressing open support for these murderers.
The Israeli news site N12 is also reporting that some Israeli Arabs are also wearing the same M-16 T-shirts:
“Arab workers in well-known [Israeli] supermarkets, students, and young children – were seen wearing the shirt on which the weapon is printed.”
[N12, May 10, 2022]
The message of the shirts at this time is open support or even admiration for the use of weapons to murder Israelis during the current terror wave. Israelis are naturally outraged at this open terror support by some Israeli Arabs.
The following is a longer quote from the article in Al-Arab:
“[Palestinian] women gather to buy cotton shirts with a print of an M-16 rifle at the request of their sons. There is growing demand for the shirts ever since Palestinians carried out attacks against Israel last month [March 2022] with M-16 rifles…
The shirts with the automatic rifle have spread in the Palestinian market in different colors during the last two months, in other words, since the recent tension between the Palestinian and Israeli sides began, as part of which 14 Israelis and 23 Palestinians were killed, including a number [of Palestinians] who carried out attacks.
Ahmed Abu Hamza, 40, a storeowner who sells these shirts, said: ‘The demand for this kind of clothing is huge. I think that the reason for this is the situation in Palestine recently, and particularly in Jenin.’ (PMW note: most of the terrorist murderers, including those who killed using M-16 rifles – were form the Jenin region)…
Abu Hamza noted that in 10 days he sold approximately 12,000 shirts or pants that also have the print on them, and that he ordered 12,000 additional units due to ‘the huge demand.’
Palestinian and Israeli academics and politicians say that the attacks that Palestinians recently carried out against Israeli targets, which in some of them M-16 weapons were used, ‘have become an inspiring symbol for many young Palestinians, which increases their desire to copy those carrying out [the attacks]’…
[For example] on social media and in the media outlets a video was publicized in which Diya Hamarsheh (i.e., terrorist, murdered 5 with and M-16), one of the attackers, is seen walking around Bnei Brak next to Tel Aviv in late March and shooting with an M-16 rifle. As a result of this 3 Israelis and 2 Ukrainians were killed.”
[Al-Arab, independent Arab news website (UK), April 22, 2022]
