PA: “The Giants of Palestinian History” - are terrorist murderers
Who are “The Giants of Palestinian History”? According to the PA, the murderers of Israelis are the ones who deserve this distinction.
The Palestinian Authority continuously emphasizes that anyone who ever attacked an Israeli is a hero. As the greatest role models for Palestinian society PA leaders present the imprisoned terrorist murderers and those who “died as Martyrs” while attacking Israelis. Not only in word, but also in deed by generously rewarding the terrorists with life-long salaries, while in prison and beyond, as Palestinian Media Watch has exposed and continues to document.
The PA recently celebrated its annual “Prisoner’s Day” to honor the terrorist prisoners. On this day, numerous events are held throughout the PA to glorify the imprisoned and released terrorists and murderers. To emphasize their glory and the respect they in the PA’s eyes deserve from Palestinian society, official PA TV produced two fillers in which several dozens of imprisoned murderers were honored with their photo and their date of arrest. The title for the pictures of the terrorists in one of the fillers was: “The Giants of Palestinian History”. The PA didn’t mention, however, that they are murderers.
Text: “Prisoner Karim Younes – prisoner since Jan. 6, 1983”
Text: “Prisoner Nael Barghouti – prisoner since April 4, 1978”
Text: “Prisoner Maher Younes – prisoner since Jan. 18, 1983”
Text: “Prisoner Muhammad Al-Tous – prisoner since Oct. 6, 1985”
Text: “Prisoner Ibrahim Abu Mukh – prisoner since March 24, 1986”
Text: “Prisoner Rushdi Abu Mukh – prisoner since March 24, 1986”
Text: “Prisoner Walid Daqqa – prisoner since March 25, 1986”
Text: “Prisoner Ibrahim Bayadseh – prisoner since March 26, 1986”
Text: “Prisoner Alaa Al-Bazian – prisoner since April 20, 1986”
Text: “Prisoner Ahmad Abu Jaber – prisoner since July 8, 1986”
Text: “Prisoner Samir Abu Nimeh – prisoner since Oct. 20, 1986”
Text: “Prisoner Samer Al-Mahroum – prisoner since Nov. 15, 1986”
Text: “Prisoner Muhammad Daoud – prisoner since Dec. 8, 1987”
Text: “Prisoner Bashir Al-Khatib – prisoner since Jan. 1, 1988”
Text: “Prisoner Jum’a Adam – prisoner since Oct. 31, 1988”
Text: “Prisoner Mahmoud Abu Kharabish – prisoner since Nov. 3, 1988”
Text: “Prisoner Nidal Zalum – prisoner since May 3, 1989”
PMW was unable to determine the details of his crimes.
Text: “Prisoner Raed Al-Sa’adi – prisoner since Aug. 28, 1989”
Text: “Prisoner Adnan Maragha – prisoner since June 20, 1990”
Text: “Prisoner Ibrahim Agbaria – prisoner since Feb. 26, 1992”
Text: “Prisoner Muhammad Agbaria – prisoner since Feb. 26, 1992”
Text: “Prisoner Yahia Agbaria – prisoner since March 3, 1992”
Text: “Prisoner Diya ‘Al-Faluji’ – prisoner since Oct. 12, 1992”
Text: “Prisoner Muhammad Falana – prisoner since Nov. 29, 1992”
Text: “Prisoner Nasser Abu Sorour – prisoner since Jan. 4, 1993”
Text: “Prisoner Mahmoud Abu Sorour – prisoner since Jan. 5, 1993”
Text: “Prisoner Mahmoud Issa – prisoner since June 3, 1993”
Text: “Prisoner Muhammad Shamasneh – prisoner since Nov. 12, 1993”
Text: “Prisoner Abd Al-Jawad Shamasneh – prisoner since Dec. 12, 1993”
Text: “Prisoner Alaa Al-Din Al-Karaki – prisoner since Dec. 17, 1993”
Text: “Prisoner Sa’adi Al-Gharabli – prisoner since July 11, 1994”
Bottom row (left to right) Walid Daqqa, Ibrahim Bayadseh, Alaa Al-Bazian, and Ahmad Abu Jaber.
Text: “After the night there is only a rising dawn of glory”
[Official PA TV, twice on both April 17 and 18, 2020; Official PA TV Live, April 18, 2020]
Text: “27 leaders have given more than 25 years of their lives in the prisons of injustice”
Text: “Leader Karim Younes – since 1983”
Text: “Leader Maher Younes – since 1983”
Text: “Leader Muhammad Al-Tous – since 1985”
Text: “Leader Ibrahim Abu Mukh – since 1986”
Text: “Leader Rushdi Abu Mukh – since 1986”
Text: “Leader Walid Daqqa – since 1986”
Text: “Leader Ibrahim Bayadseh – since 1986”
Text: “Leader Ahmad Abu Jaber – since 1986”
Text: “Leader Samir Abu Nimeh – since 1986”
Text: “Leader Muhammad Daoud – since 1987”
Text: “Leader Bashir Al-Khatib – since 1988”
Text: “Leader Mahmoud Abu Kharabish – since 1988”
Text: “Leader Jum’a Adam – since 1988”
PMW was unable to determine the details of his crimes.
Text: “Leader Raed Al-Sa’adi – since 1989”
Text: “Leader Muhammad Agbaria – since 1992
Leader Ibrahim Agbaria – since 1992”
Text: “Leader Muhammad Jabarin – since 1992
Leader Yahia Agbaria – since 1992”
Text: “Leader Diya ‘Al-Faluji’ – since 1992”
Text: “Leader Muhammad Falana – since 1992”
Text: “Leader Nasser Abu Sorour – since 1993
Leader Mahmoud Abu Sorour – since 1993”
Text: “Leader Mahmoud Issa – since 1993”
Abd Al-Jawad also murdered a fourth victim.
Text: “Leader Muhammad Shamasneh – since 1993
Leader Abd Al-Jawad Shamasneh – since 1993”
Text: “Leader Alaa Al-Din Al-Karaki – since 1993”
Text: “Leader Sa’adi Al-Gharabli – since 1994”
[Official PA TV, April 18, 2020]
Fatah glorifies and promotes terrorist murderers just like the PA. Thus one Fatah official referred to two murderers who killed 3 Israelis as “heroic prisoners.” The two murderers were also included in PA TV’s fillers. In the same broadcast, the murderers’ father encouraged everyone to “sacrifice for Palestine” as they did:
Fatah Secretary in Qatanna Ammar Al-Souri: “Today we are with the family of the two heroic prisoners: Prisoner Muhammad Yusuf Shamasneh – 4 life sentences and 20 years – and heroic prisoner Abd Al-Jawad Yusuf Shamasneh – 4 life sentences and 20 years.”
Father of murderers Muhammad and Abd Al-Jawad Yusuf Shamasneh: “Everyone - Everyone - like they did and others did - should sacrifice and stand up for the sake of Palestine and the homeland… When we hold a wedding or any kind of joyful event, their pictures are at the celebrations... Take care of yourselves... to the lions who fought for the homeland.”
[Official PA TV, In the Homeland, Feb. 19 and 20, 2020]
Moreover, Fatah sympathized with “heroic” murderer Karim Younes and lamented the fact that the killer has to eat his fast breaking meals during the Ramadan alone, without his mother. Fatah also expressed “appreciation and admiration” for all the imprisoned terrorists and murderers:
Posted text: “Fatah Movement Central Committee member and imprisoned fighter commander #Karim_Younes, who has begun his 38th year in prison, eats the Ramadan fast-breaking meal alone in the Israeli discrimination basements. For 37 years he has not gotten to spend the days of Ramadan with his mother.
Our heroic prisoners – we send you [our] full appreciation and admiration; you are the symbol of our cause and its prominent embodiment, the solid rock that does not break despite all the occupation’s steps to harm your determination. We draw hope and strength from you, and with your release our dream will be completed in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state whose capital is Jerusalem.”
[Official Fatah Facebook page, May 10, 2020]
Likewise, the official PA daily paid tribute to 12 Israeli Arab terrorist murderers who also appeared in the PA TV fillers, describing them as suffering individuals unjustly deprived of contact with their relatives:
Headline: “12 prisoners from the 1948 territories (i.e., Israel) have [collectively] served 399 years”
“Because they are our fathers, and because we are their sons, we must always remember them: 12 prisoners from the 1948 territories (i.e., Israel)… who have [collectively] served 399 years in the occupation’s prison until now and were arrested between the years of 1983 and 1992; 12 prisoners who have paid for our people’s freedom and honor with more than half of their lives behind bars and in the darkness of the prison cells. Most of them have lost their dear parents, brothers, sisters, or relatives, and among them are those who are in their 50s and 60s without having had a child or gotten to marry.
Every one of the prisoners has a story that has yet to be told – a yearning for homes, neighborhoods, and alleys that have changed with the passing of the long years… Twelve of the 70 prisoners from the towns and cities of the Interior (i.e., Palestinian term for Israel) who are still drawing the map of greater Palestine.”
The article presents 12 short biographies of imprisoned terrorist murderers without noting their crimes; the murderers are: Karim Younes, Maher Younes, Rushdi Abu Mukh, Ibrahim Abu Mukh, Walid Daqqa, Ibrahim Bayadseh, Ahmad Abu Jaber, Bashir Al-Khatib, Ibrahim Agbaria, Muhammad Agbaria, Yahia Mustafa Agbaria, and Muhammad Tawfiq Jabarin, see notes below for information on their crimes –Ed.
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 20, 2020]
The following are details of the murders and other crimes committed but the terrorist prisoners honored by the PA:
Karim and Maher Younes - Israeli Arab terrorists and cousins who kidnapped and murdered Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1980. They were originally sentenced to life in prison, but Israeli President Shimon Peres reduced their sentences to 40 years in 2012. In May 2017 Karim Younes was appointed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to the Fatah Central Committee. Karim Younes was released from prison on Jan. 5, 2023, and Maher Younes was released two weeks later on Jan. 19, 2023.
Nael and Fakhri Barghouti – Palestinian terrorists who murdered an Israeli army officer in January 1978, near Ramallah. Both were sentenced to life but were released in the Shalit prisoner exchange deal in 2011. Nael Barghouti was arrested again in 2014 for violating the terms of his release by offering Hamas to serve as its minister of prisoners' affairs, and is serving a life sentence plus an additional 18 years.
Muhammad Al-Tous - Palestinian terrorist and Fatah member who was the commander of a terrorist cell that attacked 5 civilian buses in September 1985, wounding 16 passengers. He also issued the command to murder Zalman Abolnik in March 1984 and Meir Ben Yair and Michal Cohen in July 1985, and took part in the murder of Mordechai Suissa and Edna Harari in October 1985. Al-Tous is serving life in prison.
Israeli Arab terrorist and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror organization who led the terror cell that kidnapped and murdered Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam in August 1984. The cell was apprehended in 1986 and its members were sentenced to life, but Israeli President Shimon Peres reduced their sentences in 2012 to terms of 35 to 45 years.
Alaa Al-Din Al-Bazian – Palestinian terrorist who was arrested for terror activity in 1979 (including a bombing attempt during which he lost his eyesight) and released in the Jibril Exchange in May 1985. After his release Al-Bazian led a terror cell comprised mainly of terrorists released in the Jibril Exchange. The cell was responsible for several attacks, including the murder of Zehava Ben Ovadia, 59, in East Jerusalem on April 13, 1986, and the murder of British tourist Paul Appleby, 28, at the Garden Tomb Christian religious site in Jerusalem on April 27, 1986. The cell was rounded up and Al-Bazian was arrested and sentenced to a life sentence in October 1986. In October 2011, Al-Bazian was released as part of the Shalit prisoner exchange deal between the Israeli government and Hamas, but he was arrested again in 2014 for violating the terms of his release, and is serving his reinstated life sentence.
Israeli Arab terrorist who participated in the kidnapping and murder of Israeli soldier Shaltiel Akiva on April 6, 1985. Abu Jaber is serving a life sentence.
Samir Abu Nimeh – Palestinian terrorist involved in an attack on Oct. 15, 1986, in which grenades were thrown at Israeli army soldiers and their families immediately after an induction ceremony at the Western Wall, murdering Dov Porat, the father of one of the recruits, and wounding 69 others. The PLO claimed responsibility for the attack.
Samer Al-Mahroum – Palestinian terrorist and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who, together with terrorists Omar Al-Naif and Hamza Al-Naif, stabbed and murdered Israeli civilian Eliyahu Amadi in the Old City of Jerusalem on Nov. 15, 1986. Al-Mahroum was sentenced to a life sentence, but was released in 2011 in the Shalit prisoner exchange deal between the Israeli government and Hamas. He was later rearrested and had his sentence reinstated for violating the conditions of his release.
Muhammad Adel Daoud - Palestinian terrorist who murdered Ofra Moses, who was pregnant, and her 5-year-old son, Tal Moses, by throwing a Molotov cocktail at their car on April 11, 1987. Daoud is serving a life sentence.
Israeli Arab terrorist who murdered Israeli citizen Chaim Taktouk and hid his body in a cast concrete floor in his house in Ramle. Taktouk went missing in February 2020 and his body was found five months later on July 21, 1988. Al-Khatib is serving a 35-year sentence.