Palestinian Authority Honors Terrorists Through Monuments and Schools, Undermining Peace Efforts
The recent destruction of a monument dedicated to a terrorist by Israeli MK Tzvi Sukkot has brought renewed attention to the widespread phenomenon of Palestinian Authority (PA) memorials honoring terrorists. Itamar Marcus, director of the Palestinian Media Watch research institute, described this practice as extensive and deeply problematic for Palestinian society. Marcus explained that the PA glorifies terrorists in two main ways: immediately after attacks by portraying the attackers as martyrs who died for their people, and more seriously, by erecting lasting monuments and naming public places after them. These memorials send a continuous message to Palestinian youth that murdering Israelis is heroic.
Marcus provided examples including a monument at a girls' school in Bethlehem honoring 17-year-old suicide bomber Ayat al-Akhras, who killed two people. He noted that the PA honors terrorists from various factions, not only Fatah but also Hamas, such as a large square in Ramallah named after Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin. Numerous schools bear the names of terrorists, including five named after Dalal Mughrabi, who led the Coastal Road massacre killing 38 Israelis, and others named after Abu Jihad, responsible for 125 Israeli deaths. These sites promote terrorists as role models and their violent acts as the PA's ideal for its people and youth.
When asked if the Oslo Accords include clauses requiring the PA to stop glorifying terrorists, Marcus confirmed no such provisions exist. However, after Benjamin Netanyahu became prime minister in 1996, Marcus's institute presented data on this issue, which Netanyahu used in discussions during the Wye River negotiations. The PA then committed to ending incitement, and a negotiation committee was formed to address these matters. Marcus was appointed Netanyahu's representative, but Palestinians argued that honoring terrorists was not incitement to terror but rather encouragement of hatred, and part of Palestinian heritage and tradition, thus refusing to treat it as a negotiable issue.
This ongoing glorification of terrorists through monuments, schools, and public spaces continues to fuel incitement and poses a significant obstacle to peace efforts between Israelis and Palestinians.
