Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Palestinian incitement for the terror attack in Har Adar Tuesday morning that killed a Border Police officer and two security guards and seriously injured another man, and called upon Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu-Mazen) to condemn the attack.
“This murderous attack is a result of systematic incitement by the PA, amongst other things, and I expect Abu-Mazen to condemn it, rather than try to justify it,” Netanyahu said at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting, reported Tazpit.
“This is a difficult morning, I am sending my condolences to the [victims’] families. We will demolish the terrorist’s house and we are revoking his extended family’s work permits as we speak,” said Netanyahu. “We need to investigate and see if this event represents a new pattern; if so, we must properly prepare.”
Israeli Border Police officer Solomon Gavriyah, 20, an Israeli of Ethiopian origin, security guard Or Arish, 25, and security guard Yosef Ottman, 25, were killed when Palestinian terrorist Nimr Mahmoud Ahmed Jamal approached Har Adar’s rear entrance and opened fire at the Israelis with a pistol.
According to Tazpit, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman also blamed Palestinian incitement for the attack. “The PA continues to incite to the murder of Jews, and to praise murderers. This is the main reason why the atmosphere of incitement in [Palestinian] television and social media leads to terror attacks against Israeli citizens,” Lieberman said.
He added that there is “no difference between Palestinian terrorism, which is systematically and institutionally nurtured, and the radical Islamic terror, which has carried out attacks all over Europe and around the world. Before we can speak of any negotiations, the world must demand that the PA stops the incitement and the fueling of terror.”
“This heinous terror attack did not take place in a vacuum,” concurred Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon, who spoke to The Algemeiner. “It was the direct result of the payments to terrorists by the Palestinian Authority. Mahmoud Abbas continues to encourage terrorism by glorifying terrorists who have committed devastating attacks against Israelis.”
“I call on the Security Council to immediately and unequivocally condemn this horrific attack and demand that Mahmoud Abbas and the PA end their incitement against the State and people of Israel,” the ambassador concluded.
Arutz Sheva reported that The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations also strongly condemned the attack. “We express our condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of those killed by the terrorists in this ruthless terror attack and offer our prayers for the recovery of those who were wounded,” said Stephen M. Greenberg, chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, CEO, of the Conference of Presidents.
They urged Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and the PA to “end their incitement and rewards for terrorism against Israel.”
“Hours after the attack, Hamas was celebrating and handing out candy on the streets. There is no justification for the glorification of brutal terror attacks. We are appalled by this behavior and by reports that the Palestinian Authority would make payments to reward the family of the terrorist,” they said.
“There can be no real prospect for progress on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians until the Palestinians end their policy of glorifying ‘martyrs,’ incentivizing murder and reinforcing a culture that legitimizes and encourages terror,” they noted.
Along with Hamas, Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas’ Fatah movement also praised Al Jamal, calling him a “martyr” on its official Facebook page, reported Arutz Sheva.
The page featured a picture of Al Jamal with a caption praising him, glorifying him and expressing its condolences to his family.
The caption attached to the terrorist’s picture reads: “In the name of the Fatah movement, we share the sorrow of the family of the shaheed (martyr) Nimer Mahmoud Ahmed Al Jamal who was killed in the operation today.”
The three Israeli victims of the terror attack were laid to rest Wednesday in separate funerals.
