PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas greeted terrorist Yasser Abu Bakr after he was released from prison, even though he was responsible for the murder of nine-month-old Avia Malka in 2002, as well as 27-year-old Israel Yihye and 23-year-old Constantine Danilov.
By Rachel Avraham
Just hours after the terrorist responsible for the murder of a baby was released from prison, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas rushed to call the terrorist to congratulate him on his release, Palestinian Media Watch reported. According to the report, terrorist Yasser Abu Bakr was responsible for the murder of nine-month-old Avia Malka in 2002, as well as 27-year-old Israel Yihye and 23-year-old Constantine Danilov. Palestinian Media Watch noted that Abu Bakr was released from prison this week along with 200 additional terrorists in exchange for the release of four Israeli female hostages, who served as IDF lookouts in the Gaza periphery.
According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry website, on March 9 2002 “at about 8:30 P.M. two Palestinians tossed grenades and sprayed gunfire on guests in the Jeremy Hotel as they were leaving after a traditional “Shabbat hatan” celebration, held on the Sabbath before a wedding. A Magen David Adom volunteer medic was also killed in the attack, and over 50 people were wounded.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry noted, “Avia Malka, just nine months old, was the youngest of five children of Michel and Ruthi Malka, of South Africa. They had arrived in Israel just a week before to attend Ruthi’s brother’s wedding and to visit Avia’s grandparents, who live in Hashmonaim. The family spent Shabbat at a hotel in Netanya. Avia, who was seated in her carriage, was fatally injured by a grenade thrown by the terrorist and died in hospital. Her father Michel was seriously wounded. Avia Malka was buried in the Yarkon cemetery. She is survived by her parents, her grandparents, and her four older brothers and sisters – Dorine, Hemdat, Hodiel and Tzuria.”
Amnesty International also mentioned the murder of the baby Avia Malka in their report titled “Killing the Future: Children in the Line of Fire”: “Avia Malka, a nine-month-old baby, was killed by two Palestinians who shot and threw grenades at cars and pedestrians in Netanya, Israel, on 9 March 2002. One other person was killed and about 50 people were injured, several of them seriously. The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack.”
Nevertheless, despite the despicable crime that Abu Bakr committed together with his partner in crime, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas greeted him and said, “My dear, I consider this [an act] for the homeland, but they (i.e., Israel) greatly burdened you, may Allah help [you].” Abu Bakr replied, “[They burdened] everyone … I and all the prisoners say that there is no reason for any show of joy while thousands of our dear ones, [the Martyrs] who are more honorable than all of us, are no more… Everyone sends you greetings, and I hope you will set a date for a meeting with us.”
In other words, terrorists who slaughter civilians including women, children and the elderly, and get eliminated are martyrs in the eyes of Abu Bakr, while PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas considers murdering a baby to be “an act for the homeland,” even though Avia’s murder did nothing to enhance the Palestinian cause. However, Abbas is not the only official in the Palestinian Authority to have behaved as if it is honorable to murder babies.
Palestinian Media Watch also noted that “the PA also saw fit to send its Official Media General Supervisor Ahmad Assaf to the terrorist’s home. The significance of Ahmad Assaf sitting alongside the terrorist just hours after his release cannot be minimized. Assaf is close to Abbas, who personally appointed him as head of all PA media. Every year, Abbas honors him for the great work the official PA media does for the “Palestinian cause.” Assaf’s presence is another embrace by Abbas of the terrorist.”
According to Palestinian Media Watch, “In addition, standing in the room with the terrorist is a member of the PA Security Forces. The PA Security Forces are funded by the United States and the Europeans to fight Palestinian terror. Why, then, did the PA see fit to send a member of these forces to honor a released terrorist? Many in the West want a “revitalized” PA to rule the Gaza Strip, but it is so clearly involved in terror that it is dangerous to even entrust it to rule the Palestinian cities in Judea and Samaria.”