While the world continues to praise the Palestinian Authority for its "fight" against terror, in Arabic the 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," as pictured above.

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. (PMW.ORG.IL 07/26/05)