Abbas Caught Lying About Israeli "Field Executions" of Palestinian Terrorists

Source: Israeli Foreign Ministry

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was caught propagating a blatant lie that Israel is conducting "field executions" of Palestinian terrorists involved in daily attacks against Israelis, reports the Jerusalem Post.

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.

Palestinian Education Ministry Honors Terrorists As Attacks Against Israelis Continue

Fatah and the Palestinian Authority (PA) – the so-called "moderate" factions – are increasing their violent incitement against Jews and encouraging Palestinians to continue a terrorist wave of attacks plaguing Israel in recent weeks.

The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education is planting olive trees honoring the "Martyrs" who have took part in brutally murdering and injuring Israelis throughout the country.

"This event is meant to illustrate the devotion of the ministry and its staff to honoring the Martyrs, among them school students, and to strengthen the sense of belonging to the land... [and] in order to highlight the permanent presence of the Martyrs and to honor their sacrifices," PNN, independent Palestinian news agency announced on Tuesday and translated by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).

The "school students" is a reference to Palestinian teenagers involved in the attacks, one of which inflicted life-threatening injuries on 13-year-old Israeli boy.

The Palestinian news announcement continued to describe the terrorist glorification event as part of the education ministry's efforts to "instill national and humanitarian values in the minds of the young, and respect for the symbols of the struggle," praising the "loyalty of the blood of the Martyrs."

The Palestinian education ministry is notorious for making its curriculum strongly devoted to glorifying terrorist attacks against Israelis and praising the attackers as heroes for future generations to emulate. Many observers attribute the recent wave of attacks to growing violent Palestinian incitement.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Israeli police shot and killed a Palestinian who tried to stab police officers next to the Damascus Gate – the scene of numerous previous stabbing attacks targeting Israelis, reports the Times of Israel.

In a separate attack, a Palestinian stabbed and injured a 70-year-old woman at Jerusalem's central bus station.

On Tuesday, three Israelis were killed and 30 injured in four separate terrorist attacks throughout the country – two of which were in Jerusalem. There were four Palestinian terrorist attacks on Monday as well.

As a result, the Israeli cabinet decided to increase security measures in Jerusalem, bolstering the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) presence at bus and light rail stops.

"In accordance with the cabinet's decision last night, as of this morning 300 IDF soldiers have already begun spreading out to provide additional security under police command," an Israel Police spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday.

More troops have been deployed on buses and trains, while Israeli police set up checkpoints in Palestinian neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem.

There appears to be no sign of declining terrorist attacks throughout the country, as Palestinians from across the political spectrum call for more violence against Israelis.

Terrorist Wave Continues As Palestinian Leaders Encourage Violence Against Israelis

Palestinian officials and religious leaders from across the political spectrum continue to incite violence and encourage more terrorist attacks against Jews, while Israel endures more stabbing and rock attacks.

Fatah – the West Bank's ruling party – featured a picture on its official Facebook page Thursday showing an armed and masked terrorist with text that threatened Israelis with future attacks.

"We will kill you here, Oh Zionists. We are awaiting you. If you come back, we will come back," reads the Fatah statement in both Hebrew and Arabic, according to an Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) translation.

Meanwhile, an unidentified Gaza-based cleric wielded a knife during a sermon, calling for Palestinians to continue stabbing attacks against Israeli civilians.

In light of ongoing incitement, Palestinian stabbing and rock-throwing attacks continued throughout Israel on Friday.

Palestinian stone-throwers caused a car accident near Eli, wounding six people including two children, the Israel Defense Forces reported. Earlier on Friday, a Palestinian stabbed and injured a Jewish teenager in Jerusalem. Israeli security forces arrested a suspect at the scene.

Minutes later, another Palestinian tried to steal an Israeli police officer's rifle before being shot by other officers.

The attacks kept coming.

A female Palestinian terrorist tried to stab a security guard at Afula's central bus station. After refusing calls to drop the knife, the terrorist was shot and seriously wounded.

This past week, Fatah and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) officials openly justified and called for more attacks against Jews.

When asked whether the murderers of Eitan and Na'ama Henkin – killed in front of their four young children last week – were from Hamas or Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a PLO executive committee member dismissed the importance of the distinction since killing Israelis is a "national duty."

"There is no need to return to the argument and dispute about who carried out the operation... There is no need to announce it and boast of having done it. One fulfills his national duty voluntarily, as best as one can," said senior PLO official Mahmoud Ismail on Official PA TV on Monday in remarks translated by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).

On Thursday, multiple stabbing attacks occurred throughout Israel – including in Kiryat Arba, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem.

While senior Fatah officials call for more attacks, Palestinian Authority President and Fatah member Mahmoud Abbas has yet to publicly condemn any of the attacks that have taken place in recent weeks.

"Moderate" Palestinian Leaders Encourage Attacks, More Israelis Stabbed

In light of the recent wave of stabbings targeting Israelis, Fatah and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) officials continue to openly justify and encourage more terrorist attacks against Jews.

When asked whether the murderers of Eitan and Na'ama Henkin – killed in front of their four young children last week – were from Hamas or Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a PLO Executive Committee member dismissed the importance of the distinction since killing Israelis is a "national duty."

"There is no need to return to the argument and dispute about who carried out the operation... There is no need to announce it and boast of having done it. One fulfills his national duty voluntarily, as best as one can," said senior PLO official Mahmoud Ismail on Official PA TV on Monday in remarks translated by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).

Palestinian social media users celebrated the terrorist attack, sharing pictures of the murdered couple as "expressions of joy" and referring to the killing as a "heroic" act, according to a PMW translation of the official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida.

A senior Fatah official also justified killing "settlers" as "legal" acts.

"The settlers' presence is illegal, and therefore every measure taken against them is legitimate and legal," Fatah Central Committee Member Jamal Muhasien said in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida on Wednesday.

The dramatic upsurge in terrorist attacks in recent days struck Tel Aviv on Thursday, after a Palestinian terrorist wielding a screwdriver stabbed a female soldier and wounded four civilians before he was shot and killed by a nearby Israeli Air Force officer. This was already the eighth such terrorist attack targeting Israelis since Wednesday.

Earlier on Thursday, a Palestinian terrorist stabbed and severely wounded an Israeli man in Jerusalem. Shortly after, Israeli security forces arrested the attacker. This incident marks the fourth stabbing attack in the capital since Oct. 1.

Also Thursday, a Palestinian stabbed and seriously injured an Israeli man in Kiryat Arba, successfully fleeing the scene.

Last Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the international community to condemn the Palestinian leadership's glorification of terrorists or kill Israeli civilians.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has yet to publicly condemn any of the attacks that have taken place in recent weeks, while senior officials in his party continue to openly encourage further attacks.

Rebels Say American Missiles Helped Syrian Al-Qaida Affiliate

Syrian rebels with ties to al-Qaida are crediting a recent military victory to American missiles which were supposed to aid "moderate" forces fighting dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Anti-tank TOW missiles gave the rebels a vital edge in fighting in the Syrian city of Idlib and surrounding areas during the past six months.

"Nobody can deny the big effectiveness of the TOW missiles on the ground. These missiles are one of the main factors that led to the successes of the rebels," former Syrian army colonel Ahmed Al Soud, who works with a battalion of the free Syrian army, told a pro-rebel news outlet.

On Sept. 9, a coalition of Islamic Jihadi groups led by the Al Nusra Front and calling itself the Army of Conquest, crowned themselves victorious and the rulers of the city. Al Nusra is al-Qaida's official branch in Syria.

The use of American weaponry to help radical jihadists marks yet another failure in America's Syria policy. Last week, the U.S. Central Command's top general in the war against ISIS admitted that $42 million spent training moderate forces for the fight has netted four or five Syrians who are on the battlefield, Officials hoped to train 5,400 Syrians in one year.

In Idlib, the man entrusted with U.S. TOW missiles, Gmal Marouf, led the Syrian Revolutionary Front and Hazm Movement. Both were considered moderate and were supposed to use the weapons against Assad forces.

But as Al Nusra tightened its group around the Idlib region a year ago, many of Marouf's Revolutionary Front forces defected and may have handed the missiles to al-Qaida-linked group.

Marouf since has left Syria for Turkey.

It's not clear why the U.S. trusted him in the first place. In a January 2014 Twitter post, Marouf wrote that his group, Al Nusra and other jihadist militias "are all in the fighting front together against the regime."

The consequences for the people of Idlib are severe.

Protesters carrying signs that call on women to put on the hijab as "a symbol of your Islam."

Christian residents who were unable to leave are forced to live under Sharia law but they were exempt from Jizya, a tax enforced on Jews and Christians who live under Islamic law. Crosses have been removed from churches, and Christian women are forced to wear the hijab, or head covering. People loyal to the Army of Conquest are roaming the city and harassing women who haven't covered their heads.

Netanyahu Demands Palestinian Condemnation for Couple's Murder

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday called on the international community to condemn the Palestinian leadership's praise for the terrorists who murder Israeli civilians, reports the Jerusalem Post.

"Fanaticism, zealotry is there...When we hear incitement and praise for terrorists from supposed peace partners, we say, 'Cut it out'," said Netanyahu in a meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry.

A Fatah affiliated cell claimed responsibility for opening fire on Eitam and Na'ama Henkin's car – an Israeli couple in their 30s – while they were driving home with four of their children. The children – ranging in age from four months to nine years old – witnessed the murder of their parents but were not injured.

"The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement Fatah, accepted responsibility for the Itamar operation (the murder of Eitam and Na'ama Henkin), carried out against settlers, leading to their deaths," posted Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul on his official Facebook page, reports Palestinian Media Watch.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas did not mention the attack, let alone condemn it, during an appearance Friday evening. Several Palestinian factions, including Hamas, praised the attack as heroic.

This attack comes amidst increased Palestinian violent incitement against Jews and growing hostilities in Jerusalem.

"The Al-Aqsa [Mosque] is ours... and they have no right to defile it with their filthy feet. We will not allow them to, and we will do everything in our power to protect Jerusalem... We bless every drop of blood that has been spilled for Jerusalem, which is clean and pure blood, blood spilled for Allah, Allah willing. Every martyr (Shahid) will reach Paradise, and everyone wounded will be rewarded by Allah," Palestinian Authority (PA) President Abbas said in a speech, segments of which were aired on official PA TV and posted on his website.

Netanyahu contrasted the silence from Palestinian officials to the Henkins' murder to a firebombing by Israeli extremists in Duma which killed a Palestinian toddler. Israeli officials of all stripes condemned the attack.

"Compare this to the silence of the Palestinian leadership now," Netanyahu said Friday. "I have not heard their condemnation."

Rouhani Offers Futile Bribe to Hardliners for Nuclear Deal Support

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is seeking to bribe the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to cease its efforts to undermine the nuclear deal with global powers, reports Ali Alfonen – a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies – writing for the Arab Weekly.

In a Sept. 15 address to the IRGC's senior leadership, Rouhani bragged about the "revolutionary deed" of "breaking the unjust sanctions regime" and called for the IRGC and other military and security apparatuses to "help the government and the people in production, development and economic growth."

According Alfonen – an expert on the IRGC – Rouhani's message suggests that if the IRGC supports the agreement, a significant amount of money released to Iran as part of the economic sanctions relief will reach the IRGC's extensive business dealings.

Alfonen argues that Rouhani's risky tactic will not prevent the IRGC from accepting the bribe while continuing its staunch opposition to the nuclear agreement. For Rouhani to deliver such an address, the IRGC leadership would have been consulted beforehand, indicating that the hard-line faction accepted the bribe.

But the continued opposition, as Alfonen's headline indicates, could "could torpedo" the nuclear deal.

Increased financial flows to the IRGC's widespread economic interests will lead to more clients and political influence over Iran's elites. Such a situation would only further undermine Rouhani and the relatively pragmatic camp's power struggle with hardliners who actively oppose the nuclear agreement.

This type of deal is reminiscent of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's attempt to encourage the IRGC to stay out of political concerns in return for taking control of significant post Iran-Iraq war reconstruction projects. The IRGC exploited that opportunity to create its now bourgeoning business empire which encompasses major construction, energy, and airline contracts.

Many critics of the Iran deal argue that economic sanctions relief will empower the IRGC and enable hardline factions in Iran to enhance their regional hegemonic ambitions and state sponsorship of terrorism globally.

Abbas Unilaterally Disengages from Oslo Accords Despite U.S. Pressure

The Palestinian Authority (PA) no longer adheres to the 1993 Oslo Accords, President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Wednesday in an address to the United Nations General Assembly, eliciting a swift rebuttal from the Israeli government.

Abbas blamed the Jewish state for fuelling hostilities in Jerusalem and declared that Israel must "fully assume all its responsibilities as an occupying power ... our patience for a long time has come to an end."

However, the Israeli government was quick to denounce Abbas' accusations as "deceitful."

In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Abbas' speech misrepresented reality and contributed to further incitement of violence against Israelis.

"Abu Mazen's [Abbas] speech was filled with falsehoods that will only promote incitement and disaster in the Middle East," a statement from Netanyahu's office said.

"Unlike the Palestinians, Israel preserves the status quo on the Temple Mount and will continue to do so, based on agreements with Jordan and the Wakf," the statement said.

Abbas has rejected Netanyahu's calls for new direct negotiations, which "is the best proof that his face is not turned in the direction of peace."

Last week, Abbas glorified Palestinians fighting Israelis in Jerusalem and encouraged Palestinians to prevent Jews from entering the Al-Aqsa mosque by any means necessary.

"The Al-Aqsa [Mosque] is ours... and they have no right to defile it with their filthy feet. We will not allow them to, and we will do everything in our power to protect Jerusalem... We bless every drop of blood that has been spilled for Jerusalem, which is clean and pure blood, blood spilled for Allah, Allah willing. Every martyr (Shahid) will reach Paradise, and everyone wounded will be rewarded by Allah," Abbas said in a speech, segments of which were aired on official PA TV and posted on his website.

Before Wednesday's speech, reports indicated Abbas would not make any dramatic policy announcements. An adviser hinted that American pressure deterred Abbas from announcing Palestine as a state "under Israeli occupation."

Nevertheless, Abbas went ahead with the unilateral declaration in violation of previous understandings that underpinned relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority since 1993.

Netanyahu is scheduled to speak at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday and is expected to counter many of Abbas' inflammatory points from Wednesday's address.

Bangladesh Group's Hit List Targets More Secular Bloggers

A radical Islamist group in Bangladesh is threatening to take its jihad against secular writers global.

The Ansarullah Bangla Team, which is suspected of acting on threats and slaying at least four secular bloggers this year, has released a "hit list" of new targets. American Avijit Roy was among those murdered in 2015.

Roy was hacked to death when he returned to Bangladesh for a book fair in February. He, like the other slain bloggers, criticized religious extremism and some tenets of Islam, drawing the wrath of the Bangladesh Islamist group with alleged ties to al-Qaida.

Roy's wife, who was injured by survived the attack on her husband, is among those named on the new list, the Guardian reports. The list includes two people living in the United States, one in Canada, one in Sweden and nine in the United Kingdom.

Several Ansarullah Bangla members recently were arrested in connection with the killings, but that does not seem to have deterred the group. Its list included what the Guardian described as "an incoherent demand to strip bloggers of their citizenship" in Bangladesh and calls the writers "enemies of Islam and [Muslim religious] education, atheists, apostates, unbelievers, anti-Islamic ... bloggers [and] agents of India."

Ansarullah Bangla issued a video called "Eradicate Democracy," which argues democracy is incompatible and in conflict with Islam.

Police in Great Britain have advised the bloggers named to be cautious.

One writer, Ananya Azad, who left Bangladesh after being warned he was the assassins' "next" target, vowed to continue writing despite the threats.

"Our weapon is [the] pen, and we can use it without hurting anybody. We just want to make people conscious about their rights," he told the Guardian.

"Fundamentalists have threatened that they will come and kill me. I can't say that I am fully safe, as the fundamentalists know where I am residing. I can't say what will happen in future, but I can give you this assurance that I will write until the end of my life."

In addition to Roy, the slain bloggers in 2015 include Niloy Neel, Ananta Bijoy Das and Washiqur Rahman. In 2013, blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider was murdered after he advocated for war crimes tribunals against people responsible for mass killings at the end of Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.

UN Chief Criticizes Abbas' Incitement Against Jews in Jerusalem

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas that he worried Abbas' recent incitement will enhance confrontations in Jerusalem, the Times of Israel reports, citing Israel Radio.

Abbas blatantly incited violence last week and praised Palestinian fighters attacking Jews in Jerusalem, calling for Palestinians to prevent Jews from entering Al-Aqsa with "everything in our power."

"The Al-Aqsa [Mosque] is ours... and they have no right to defile it with their filthy feet. We will not allow them to, and we will do everything in our power to protect Jerusalem... We bless every drop of blood that has been spilled for Jerusalem, which is clean and pure blood, blood spilled for Allah, Allah willing. Every martyr (Shahid) will reach Paradise, and everyone wounded will be rewarded by Allah," Abbas said in a speech translated by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), segments of which were aired on official PA TV and posted on his website.

In response to Abbas' statements, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said that the recent increase in Palestinian violence was "of course joined by the choir, by the Palestinian Authority, with incitement and even anti-Semitic expressions regarding the prohibition for Jews with their 'filthy feet' to visit the Temple Mount and other over-the-top expressions."

Meanwhile, a Palestinian woman tried to stab IDF soldiers at a Hebron checkpoint on Tuesday. The soldiers fired back, and the 18-year-old attacker later died from her injuries.

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