‘Real men approach death with a smile,’ Fatah leader tells students

In a speech at Al-Quds Open University, Fatah Central Committee member and Fatah Commissioner Abbas Zaki urged new students to seek death for Jerusalem. Zaki shouted to the young people: “Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Cursed is anyone who doesn’t sacrifice for Jerusalem!” Zaki continued: “What did [Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat] say? He said: ‘Rise! The gates of Paradise have opened.’ He who asks for death ...- life will be given to him. Those who die [naturally] are the cowards. But real men approach death with a smile. Do not be afraid; death is in the hands of Allah. Rush toward death and life will be given to you!” [Official Facebook page of Abbas Zaki, Nov. 19, 2018]

This is a prime example of how the P.A. and Fatah poison the minds of Palestinian children and youth, teaching them to aspire to die for Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and “Palestine.”

For two decades, Palestinian Media Watch has documented these messages from the Palestinian leadership to the Palestinian people. Zaki’s inciting speech shows that encouraging the young generation to seek death for “Palestine” is not merely a historical artifact from the period of the P.A. terror campaign (the Second Intifada, 2000-05), but rather an integral part of the Palestinian narrative, culture, and society today—and worse yet: an integral part of P.A. policy.

In this short part of his speech, Zaki fitted in several of the P.A.’s teachings: - Jerusalem is in danger and needs Palestinians to defend it, or more specifically, “sacrifice for it” - Those who willingly (“with a smile”) die for this ideal become “mMartyrs,” go to “Paradise” and are rewarded there by Allah with eternal “life” - Those who refrain from heeding this call and do not actively seek death are “cursed” and “cowards” PMW has exposed that the P.A. leadership communicates these messages to Palestinians using all the communication platforms at its disposal, be it public events, TV broadcasts, written media and social media, or even schoolbooks.

Read full report at PMW.