 Source: Israeli Foreign Ministry |
In an effort to counter Abbas' absurd claim, Israeli officials released video and photograph evidence of a Palestinian terrorist, Ahmed Manasrah, who carried out a stabbing attack in Jerusalem this week.
Manasrah, 13, was one of two terrorists who stabbed two Israelis, one of whom was a 13-year-old boy who remains in serious condition.
"First of all, he isn't dead, he's alive, and he isn't innocent, he tried to kill a 13-year-old riding a bike, who was the true innocent," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters Thursday.
Ein Kerem's Hadassah University Medical Center distributed a photograph of Manasrah to confirm that Israel was not arbitrarily executing Palestinians responsible for stabbing and other terrorist attacks, as Abbas claimed.
"We will not give up to the logic of brute force, policies of occupation and aggression practiced by the Israeli government and the herd of settlers who are engaged in terrorism against our people, our holy places, our homes, our trees and the execution of our children in cold blood as they did with the child Ahmed Manasrah and other children from Jerusalem," Abbas said in an address broadcast on Palestine TV.
This fabrication is one among many examples of Abbas and other Fatah and Palestinian Authority officials contributing to the growing violent incitement against Israelis. Official Palestinian institutions are glorifying the attacks – setting up memorials in to honor terrorists – and encouraging more attacks.
Netanyahu gave foreign reporters Israel's perspective on the recent Palestinian-induced escalation of violence. Netanyahu demonstrated a direct link between official Palestinian incitement and the recent wave of terrorist attacks throughout Israel.
"Thousands and thousands of posters and memes have called on Palestinians to perpetrate stabbing attacks," Netanyahu said – showing numerous examples of Fatah propaganda encouraging Palestinian knife attacks targeting Jews.
Netanyahu also attempted to refute two major fabrications propagated by Abbas and members of his Fatah movement, falsely accusing Israel of altering the status quo at the Temple Mount and the absurd allegation of Israeli summary executions of Palestinians involved in recent attacks.
The prime minister went on to challenge a State Department spokesman's comments on Wednesday that accused Israel of possibly using excessive force against Palestinian terrorists.