Palestinian kids taught to admire escaped terrorists
Palestinian kids taught that escaped terrorists are “heroes”
Fatah glorifies 4th grader who wrote about the fugitive terrorists for “understanding the lesson”
The escape of 6 Palestinian terrorists from an Israeli prison earlier this month was cause for great celebration in the PA, and the PA utilized the escape to reinforce what Palestinian children are taught daily: That terrorists and murderers of Israelis are heroes. The following images and texts published by PA schools, Abbas’ Fatah Movement, and the official PA daily, show that Palestinian school kids are being taught to honor all terrorists, with focus on the escapees (who were all recaptured within 2 weeks):
One example illustrates how central the message that terrorists are heroes is and how important it is for the PA and Fatah to get it across to children. Fatah posted the answers given by a 4th grader who chose to write sentences about the 6 escaped terrorists for an assignment on interrogatives. Fatah said the boy had “understood the lesson of the prisoners well”:
Posted text: “It is enough that our children have already understood the lesson of the prisoners well
This is how a child in fourth grade answered a question in an Arabic lesson”
The image shows the boy’s hand-written answers to an assignment.
Text: “We will write five sentences that begin with the following question words:
Schoolbook: Who: Who are the prisoners who escaped from prison? (refers to six terrorist prisoners who escaped from Gilboa Prison; see note below -Ed.)
Schoolbook: How:
Student: How did the prisoners escape from the prison? (With a spoon)
Schoolbook: What:
Student: What happened to the prisoners? (Four were caught)
Schoolbook: Did:
Student: Did they catch the prisoners?
Schoolbook: Where:
Student: Where did the two prisoners go?”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Movement – Nablus Branch, Sept. 16, 2021]
Children were also taught to praise the escaped terrorists as “lofty lions” who “let the enemy taste from the bitter cup” as is seen in pictures of young girls from the Nusayba Al-Mazeniya Elementary School for Girls:
Posted text: “O lofty lions behind bars
The homelands are proud of [men] like them
Men who let the enemy taste from the bitter cup
Men who stand firm and who were fed up with submission and defeat
Young people in the best of their years waved the flag of victory
Morning roll call activities as a sign of solidarity with the heroic prisoners”
[Facebook page of the Nusayba Al-Mazeniya Elementary School for Girls, Sept. 9, 2021]
The picture shows children and adults at the school holding signs with the names of escaped terrorists, a sign with the text: “The creators of freedom,” Palestinian flags, and a yellow Fatah flag.
Children at morning roll call holding signs honoring the terrorists.
Text on signs: “Zakariya Zubeidi (i.e., terrorist, responsible for numerous attacks)”
“Munadil Nafiyat (i.e., Islamic Jihad terrorist)”
“Ayham Kamamji (i.e., terrorist, involved in murder of 1)”
[Facebook page of the Nusayba Al-Mazeniya Elementary School for Girls, Sept. 9, 2021]
The picture shows posters on the left with images of former PLO and PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, and a poster in the center with text honoring the terrorists.
Texts on poster: “The creators of freedom
Free prisoner Zakariya Zubeidi. Age: 45. Residence: Jenin refugee camp. Arrest: 2019. Sentence: Detained.
Free prisoner Ayham Kamamji. Age: 35. Residence: Kafr Dan-Jenin. Arrest: 2006. Sentence: Life sentence.
Free prisoner Mahmoud Ardah (i.e., Islamic Jihad terrorist). Age: 46. Residence: Arraba-Jenin. Arrest: 1996. Sentence: Life sentence.
Free prisoner Muhammad Ardah (i.e., involved in murder of 3). Age: 39. Residence: Arraba-Jenin. Arrest: 2002. Sentence: Life sentence.
Free prisoner Munadil Nafiyat. Age: 26. Residence: Ya’abad-Jenin. Arrest: 2019. Sentence: Detained.
Free prisoner Yaqub Qaderi (i.e., terrorist, involved in murder of 1). Age: 49. Residence: Bir Al-Basha-Jenin. Arrest: 2003. Sentence: Life sentence.”
[Facebook page of the Nusayba Al-Mazeniya Elementary School for Girls, Sept. 9, 2021]
Text on sign: “A salute of honor and admiration to our heroic prisoners
Gilboa Prison
Jenin”
Text on sign: “Sept. 6 [2021]
The miracle of the free prisoners’ victory
1) Ayham Kamamji
2) Zakariya Zubeidi
3) Munadil Nafiyat
4) Yaqub Qaderi
5) Mahmoud Ardah
6) Muhammad Ardah”
[Facebook page of the Nusayba Al-Mazeniya Elementary School for Girls, Sept. 9, 2021]
In a video posted on the Facebook page of “the Lion Cubs and Flowers Institution” – the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, the child Hamza Al-Habash is standing behind mock prison bars with signs on them, calling for “Freedom to our heroic prisoners”:
Hamza Al-Habash: “Hello, I am Hamza Al-Habash. I want to dedicate this activity to the Palestinian prisoners
(Al-Habash begins to sing -Ed.)
O darkness of the prison, prevail! For we like the darkness
After the night the dawn of glory will yet break through and rise
Freedom to our heroic prisoners
Freedom to our heroic prisoners
Freedom to our heroic prisoners”
Posted text: “Lion cub (i.e., young boy) #Hamza_Al-Habash
Identifies with the prisoners in his unique and brave way
O hero, a free and brave future is expected for you”
Text on signs: “Nafha Prison”
“Ketziot Prison”
“Megiddo Prison”
“Ofer Prison”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 12, 2021]
Under the headline “The homeland’s schools support the prisoners” the official PA daily printed photos of children and youth holding signs praising the escaped terrorists:
Text on sign: “Our prisoners are the light of the cause and its fire, its spirit of honor and its history”
Text on sign in middle: “Emptying the prisons is a national and global obligation”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 10, 2021]
Another Fatah post showed a boy wearing a keffiyeh (Arab headdress) and holding a spoon, indicating the spoon used by the six terrorist prisoners who escaped Gilboa Prison. The boy has a Palestinian flag painted on one of his cheeks, and text drawn on his other cheek.
Text on cheek: “Freedom to our prisoners”
Posted text: “The Lion Cubs and Flowers [Institution] (i.e., the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls) – Tamoun sub-branch, Tubas branch, in a rally of solidarity with our heroic prisoners.”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls, Sept. 12, 2021]
Even children as young as kindergarten were taught by Fatah to honor imprisoned terrorists:
Text on poster: “Save the lives of the prisoners in the occupation prisons”
Text on poster: “Yes to the pain of hunger
No, and a thousand [times] no
To the pain of bowing down [to the occupation]”
Text on poster: “Their freedom is our obligation”
Posted text: “As part of the activities of the Quarters of Jerusalem Kindergarten in the village of Hares, Salfit branch – a rally of solidarity for the kindergarten children with the heroic prisoners in the occupation prisons. This was under the supervision of Lion Cubs and Flowers Institution (i.e., the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls) Coordinator and kindergarten principal Hanan Bouziya.”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls, Sept. 12, 2021]
Other Fatah posts show children holding posters with pictures of some of the escaped terrorists and texts calling them “heroes” and “knights”:
Text on poster: “Our prisoner knights, glory and victory
In spite of the prison guard”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 13, 2021]
Text on sign: “Freedom to our heroic prisoners”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 12, 2021]
Text on sign: “Our joy will not be complete except with the freedom of all the prisoners”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 12, 2021]
Text on sign: “The [prisoners’] imprisonment must necessarily be broken”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 12, 2021]
Text on poster: “Hero
Mahmoud Ardah
Third escape attempt
The mind behind the recent operation
Was 16 years old when he was first arrested and sentenced to 4 years
After two years he was arrested [again]. His current sentence is life.
[After] 15 years he liberated himself”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 12, 2021]
Text on poster:“Hero
Zakariya Zubeidi
He was subjected to four assassination attempts in which he was wounded by bullets
An explosive blew up in his face (the signs are still visible)
His mother and sister died as Martyrs in a raid in 2002 of the Jenin refugee camp that stands firm
He wrote [the] thesis ‘The Dragon and the Hunter’
He took down occupiers and also wounded 30 settlers”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 12, 2021]
Text on poster: “O one whose eyes and hands are full of blood: The night is passing
The interrogation rooms will not remain, neither will the sounds of the chains”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 13, 2021]
Images posted on the Facebook page of “the Lion Cubs and Flowers Institution” – the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch
Text on sign: “O lofty lions behind bars
The homelands are proud of [men] like them
Men who let the enemy taste from the bitter cup
Men who stand firm and who were fed up with submission and defeat
Young people in the best of their years waved the flag of victory
Repeat one word again and again to the prison guard: ‘Allahu Akbar’ (i.e., “Allah is greatest”)”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 13, 2021]
Text on sign: “#Free_despite_the_chains”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 13, 2021]
The image shows a girl holding a poster with a spoon on the left, indicating the spoon used in the Gilboa Prison escape, and open chains on the right.
Text on poster in English and Arabic: “Their freedom – our duty”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 13, 2021]
Text on poster: “The chains will be broken in spite of the prison guard”
[Facebook page of the Fatah Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls – Nablus Branch, Sept. 13, 2021]
2021 Gilboa Prison escape – 6 Palestinian terrorist prisoners escaped from Israel's Gilboa Prison on Sept. 6, 2021, by widening the hole of the shower drainpipe in the floor of their cell. One terrorist is from Fatah - Zakariya Zubeidi, and the other five are from Islamic Jihad - Ayham Kamamji, Muhammad Ardah, Mahmoud Ardah, Yaqub Qaderi, and Munadil Nafiyat. Four of the terrorists were recaptured after five days: Zubeidi, Ardah, Ardah, and Qaderi. Kamamji and Nafiyat were arrested in Jenin on Sept. 18, 2021 along with two accomplices. Zubeidi was head of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (Fatah's military wing) in the Jenin area during the PA terror campaign (the second Intifada, 2000-2005), when he oversaw numerous lethal attacks, and he also carried out shooting attacks in 2018-2019. Kamamji participated in the murder of 18-year-old Eliyahu Asheri on June 25, 2006, and planned to blow up a bus using an exploding car. Muhammad Ardah participated in initiating and executing a suicide bombing on bus no. 823 on Nov. 29, 2001, in which 3 people were murdered and many others were wounded. Mahmoud Ardah was involved in numerous attacks; the website of Islamic Jihad’s military wing defined him as the "commander" of the prison escape. Qaderi committed a shooting attack on Sept. 18, 2002 with an accomplice in which Israeli Yosef Ajami was murdered and a foreign worker was wounded. Nafiyat was being held in administrative detention.