By Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, Palestinian Media Watch Bulletin, July 26, 2005.

While the world continues to praise the Palestinian Authority for its “fight”
against terror, in Arabic the Palestinian Authority (PA) continues its unabated
legitimization and glorification of terror targeting Israelis.

Terrorists from three Palestinian terror organizations murdered an Israel couple
on Saturday night, July 23. The murdered couple were parents of teenage
children. PA condemnations in English were careful to avoid criticizing the
“action” as murder or terror, but rather censured it as “damaging to the PA.”

In Arabic however, the PA’s official daily effectively endorsed the
murders, as it has done consistently under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas,
legitimizing and glorifying the terror and granting the most elevated status to
the murderers – the status of Shahid – Martyr for Allah.

The daily also published a heroic picture of the “Shahids”.

The following are excerpts from the article legitimizing the terror and granting
heroic Shahid status to the terrorists, that appeared in Abbas’ official daily on
the day after the killings:

“The two shahids are Tariq Salim Yassin (22) … of Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades
and the Shahid Yekhya Al-Ris Khamad Abu Taha (21), from Rafah.

“Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, which belongs to the Fatah movement, the Al-Quds
Companies, the military branch of the Islamic Jihad movement, and Al-Nasir
Salah Al-Din Regiments, the military branch of the Popular Resistance
Committees, [all] claimed joint responsibility for the attack…

“An Islamic Jihad movement senior [official], Khalid Al-Batash, emphasized that
the operation in Kisufim … came in retaliation to the assassination crimes that
were committed by the Occupation…

“He said that the operation is not considered a violation of the ‘Calm’ [i.e.
cease fire] and that the Resistance will retaliate to the violations of the
Occupation whenever it has an opportunity…

“He also said, ‘The Calm is not holy. The government of Tel Aviv is not
committed to the Cairo Agreement, but continues with the actions of land
clearance and killing, and with building the fence… We cannot stare at the
shedding of Palestinian blood [and do nothing]…’

“He added, ‘…If anyone has an interest in the Calm, he has to press Tel
Aviv to respect it [the Calm]…’

“Fatah confirmed in an announcement its consistent position that it is important
and necessary … that the retaliation to the violations of the Calm agreement on
the side of the Occupation will be within the national consensus … ‘for
achieving our goals and our legitimate national rights for freedom, return [of
refugees], full national independence and the establishment of our fully
sovereign, independent state with Jerusalem as its capital…’

“The factions of the resistance emphasized that the execution of the operation
does not mean, in any way, the repudiation of the Hudna [cease fire] … but
comes within the framework of natural retaliation to the crimes of Israel…”
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 25, 2005]

Aside from ascribing to dead terrorists the highest Islamic honor, the article was
careful to use other terms that reinforce the temporary nature of the current lull
in attacks against Israel.

The unofficial cease fire that most Palestinian terror groups declared in February
(and have subsequently broken frequently) is labelled a ‘Calm,’ indicating a
limited period of rest, after which terror will resume.

Also note that the Palestinian leadership and press define their terrorism as
‘Resistance,’ and therefore legitimate.