Is there hope for peace if Palestinians back violence? Illustrative banner of terrorists and Dome of the Rock. By Joshua Spurlock
An explosive targeted a full bus in Jerusalem this week in a vicious terror attack that wounded 20 people and killed the bomber, and Hamas not only claimed responsibility for the blast, they “hailed” it according to a report from the Palestinian terror group’s website. They weren’t the only ones: the faction of the supposedly moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also praised the bombing.
“PA Pres Abbas’ Fatah org praised yesterday’s bus bombing in Jerusalem, called on its members to perpetrate suicide bombings & other attacks,” Israeli Prime Minister Arabic spokesman Ofir Gendelman said on Twitter. Gendelman also tweeted pictures of Palestinians handing out candy to celebrate the bombing. IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner tweeted similar photos, which had been posted by the Palestinian Information Center group, calling the scenes “nauseating.”
The Ma’an News Agency confirmed the bomber died from his wounds. Israeli Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said on his Twitter account that initially two were injured seriously in the blast and another seven moderately, while 12 suffered light injuries.
Not surprisingly, after the attack, the Israeli security heads led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized they would continue to retain the ability to enter Palestinian areas, including the sensitive “Area A” the Palestinians argue should be run by them alone, in counterterrorism efforts.
A press release from Netanyahu’s office said they “made it clear that the IDF maintains—and will maintain—the possibility of entering Area A, and anywhere necessary, according to operational needs, and that there is no other agreement with the Palestinians.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, April 20, 2016)