By Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
The Palestinian Authority recently held a military funeral for terrorist killer Sarhan Sarhan, who murdered a mother and her two children and two other Israelis in Kibbutz Metzer in 2003. Israel recently transferred his remains to the PA.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas sent a representative who glorified the murderer of children as “a brave, heroic fighter.” The official PA daily reported that “at the end of the burial ceremonies, Tulkarem District Governor Abdullah Kamil delivered a eulogy and farewell speech on behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas”:
“We part today from a brave, heroic fighter who fell defending Palestine, its land, its people and the land of Jerusalem.”
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 25, 2014]
Abbas’ representative further honored the killer, stating that “today we escort this great heroic Martyr like a bridegroom. [He] who sacrificed his life for Palestine.” He added that all the terrorists whose remains are being transferred by Israel to the PA “will be escorted as bridegrooms, as this heroic Martyr was escorted.”Palestinian Media Watch reported earlier this year that Abbas honored released murderers, calling them “heroes” four times in the same speech.
At terrorist Sarhan’s funeral, the procession shouted anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish cries promoting violence:
“Sarhan, rest in peace, we will continue the struggle!”
“With soul and with blood we will redeem you, Sarhan!”
“Oh prisoners, we are united, and we have defeated the enemy!”
“Millions of Martyrs (Shahids) are marching to Jerusalem.”
[Al-Fajer TV (local independent Palestinian station), Feb. 24, 2014]
The funeral procession also shouted an altered version of the infamous cry “Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews! The army of Muhammad will return!” in reference to the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad’s army whose defeat marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia in 628. While the original saying promises a future return of Muhammad’s army, the funeral-goers modified it, indicating that this return is already happening now:
“Khaibar, Khaibar! Oh, Jews, the army of Muhammad has begun to return.”
[Al-Fajer TV (local independent Palestinian station), Feb. 24, 2014]
At the recent PA military funeral for suicide terrorist Ragheb Jaradat, who killed 8 people in a suicide bombing on a bus in Israel on April 10, 2002, a wreath from Mahmoud Abbas was placed on the grave to honor the suicide bomber. District Governor of Jenin Talal Dweikat participated and reiterated the PA’s determination to honor terrorists:
“We are determined to honor our Martyrs – those who sacrificed their blood for our people and for our cause. Today we are gathering, from all [of our people’s] groups, to attend this Martyr’s funeral – Martyr Ragheb Jaradat who sacrificed his blood for the Palestinian nation and for the Palestinian cause.”
[Ma’an, independent Palestinian news agency, posted to YouTube on Feb. 26, 2014]
PA TV reporter at the funeral:
“A public procession which many attended and an impressive military procession, this is the sight at the funeral of [he] who is more noble than all of us, Martyr Ragheb Jaradat. In this scene, our people our trying to express [their] highest esteem to those who sacrificed their pure souls for the homeland.”
[Official PA TV, Feb. 26, 2014]
Click to see more examples of PA and Fatah’s glorification of murderers.
The following is a longer excerpt from a broadcast from terrorist Sarhan Sarhan’s funeral:
Al-Fajer TV broadcast the funeral of terrorist Sarhan Sarhan, posted on YouTube Feb. 24, 2014.Footage of the funeral procession with Fatah flags flying and the truck carrying Sarhan’s remains with PA Security Forces’ personnel sitting in it.
Song played at the funeral:
“Fatah man with Kalashnikov (assault rifle), Only you please me, the man with Kalashnikov!”
Shouts during the funeral:
“Sarhan, rest in peace, we will continue the struggle!”
“Oh prisoners, we are united, and we have defeated the enemy!”
“With soul and with blood we will redeem you, Sarhan!”
“Millions of Martyrs (Shahids) are marching to Jerusalem.”
Tulkarem District Governor Abdullah Kamil marches at the head of the procession, arm in arm with the killer’s father.
Announcer: “As we cry, [you should] laugh. You are now the bridegroom of the Dark-Eyed (i.e., virgins of Paradise).”
More shouts from the procession: “Khaibar, Khaibar! Oh, Jews, the army of Muhammad has begun to return.”
A speaker near the grave: “”Our ray of light today is in the words of the representative of his Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas, Tulkarem Governor Abdullah Kamil.”
Tulkarem District Governor Abdullah Kamil: “In the name of Allah the Merciful. Allah said: ‘And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.’ (Quran, Sura 3:169, translation Sahih International)
Masses of the heroic Palestinian people wherever you are, members of our nation, today we escort this great heroic Martyr like a bridegroom. [He] who sacrificed his life for Palestine… [Behold], here he is returning today and once again our masses are proving that they are committed to the promise and the oath, and they continue on the journey of sacrifice and giving.”
Tulkarem District Governor Abdullah Kamil in an interview after the funeral: “All our Martyrs who were buried in the ‘numbered cemeteries’ (i.e., Israeli cemeteries for terrorists and enemy soldiers) will certainly return and be buried in a manner that befits them, in an Islamic manner. They will be escorted as bridegrooms, as this heroic Martyr was escorted.”
[Al-Fajer TV (local independent Palestinian station),
posted on YouTube on Feb. 24, 2014]
Sarhan Sarhan – member of the terrorist organization the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades (Fatah’s military wing). On Nov. 10, 2002, he entered Kibbutz Metzer in northern Israel and murdered Revital Ohayon, her sons Noam and Matan (aged four and five), Tirzah Damari, and kibbutz secretary Yitzhak Dori. Sarhan was killed by an Israeli army force on Oct. 4, 2003 and his body was transferred to the PA on Feb. 23, 2014.
The Cemeteries for Enemy Casualties are two burial sites maintained by the Israeli army for burying the bodies of enemy soldiers as well as terrorists. They are fenced and well-marked. Graves have markers instead of gravestones. Burial is temporary, on the assumption that the bodies will eventually be returned to their countries of origin. No ceremony is held. The bodies are buried in numbered caskets, after their identities have been documented.
The following is a longer excerpt from the official PA daily’s article on Sarhan’s funeral:
Headline: “Martyr (Shahid) Sarhan Sarhan was escorted to burial in the Tulkarem refugee camp.”
“Sarhan Burhan Sarhan’s father did not expect the occupation authorities to hand over his son’s body ten hours before his daughter’s betrothal ceremony. He said that six months ago, the occupation authorities erased his son’s name twice in a row from the lists of the first and second phases of the release of Martyrs’ remains, and this [was done] moments before they [the remains] were handed over to the [other [Martyrs’] families. Later, the Center for the Defence of the Individual organization called him personally and informed him of the decision to hand over his Martyr son Sarhan at 8:30 exactly, yesterday evening. [He noted that the occupation authorities] chose the right time to make the family’s life miserable and deprive the family of the joy of their daughter’s betrothal, so that [the joy] would be replaced by memories of their son Sarhan’s Martyrdom death [when he] was assassinated by occupation forces in the city of Tulkarem on October 4, 2013 [sic] (should be 2003, -Ed.) for his having been responsible for the operation in the Metzer settlement that brought about the death of 6 Israelis.
At the end of the burial ceremonies, Tulkarem District Governor Abdullah Kamil delivered a eulogy and farewell speech on behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas, in which he said: ‘We part today from a brave, heroic fighter who fell defending Palestine, its land, its people and the land of Jerusalem.’ He declared that the Palestinian leadership, headed by the President [Abbas], has devoted great attention to the matter of returning the Martyrs’ remains, and has succeeded in marking many achievements in this area.”
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 25, 2014]
The following are different news items on the reception of the remains of terrorist Ragheb Jaradat, whose body was transferred by Israel to the PA on Feb. 25, 2014 and the military funeral he was given by the PA:
District Governor of Tulkarem Abdullah Kamil lays a wreath on terrorist Jaradat’s casket during the ceremony held when the PA received his remains from Israel:
Writing on wreath: “Never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.” (Quran, Sura 3:169, translation Sahih International)
Dedicated by Dr. Abdallah Kamil, District Governor of Tulkarem, to the soul of heroic Martyr (Shahid) Ragheb Ahmad Jaradat.”
[Al-Fajer TV (local independent Palestinian station),
posted on YouTube on Feb. 25, 2014]
During the funeral, a wreath was laid on the grave on behalf of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Writing on wreath: “President of the State of Palestine – Mahmoud Abbas, ‘Abu Mazen.'”
[Dunya Al-Watan (independent Palestinian news agency), Feb. 26, 2014]
District Governor of Jenin Talal Dweikat, speaking at the funeral: “We are determined to honor our Martyrs – those who sacrificed their blood for our people and for our cause. Today we are gathering, from all [of our people’s] groups, to attend this Martyr’s funeral – Martyr Ragheb Jaradat who sacrificed his blood for the Palestinian nation and for the Palestinian cause.”
[Ma’an, independent Palestinian news agency,
posted on YouTube on Feb. 26, 2014]
Ragheb Jaradat – a suicide bomber who blew himself up on bus 960 in northern Israel on April 10, 2002, killing 8 people. Israel transferred Jaradat’s body to the PA on Feb. 25, 2014.
Official PA TV News reported on the funeral of terroristRagheb Jaradat whose body was transferred by Israel to the PA on Feb. 25, 2014.
PA TV reporter: “Martyr (Shahid) Ragheb, who was killed as a Martyr in 2002 in Haifa as a result of an operation (i.e., terror attack) he carried out that led to the death and injury of dozens of Israelis, his pure body was kept in the numbered cemeteries (i.e., Israeli cemeteries for terrorists and enemy soldiers) and [now] his body is being buried according to Islamic law.”
Photo of the military funeral held for Jaradat attended by a military guard of honor.
PA TV reporter about funeral of suicide bomber Ragheb Jaradat: “A public procession which many attended and an impressive military procession, this is the sight at the funeral of [he] who is more noble than all of us, Martyr Ragheb Jaradat. In this scene, our people our trying to express [their] highest esteem to those who sacrificed their pure souls for the homeland.”
[Official PA TV, Feb. 26, 2014]
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