On September 26, 2017, Nimr Al-Jamal, from the West Bank village of Beit Surik, shot dead three Israelis at the entrance to the Israeli settlement of Har Adar. As of this writing the Palestinian Authority (PA) has issued no official response to the shooting and has not condemned it, but Mounir Al-Jaghoub, the spokesman of Fatah's recruitment and organization commission held Israel responsible for the attack. He warned that if Israel continues its "aggression" more violence will ensue, and stressed, "we in the Fatah movement continue our struggle to realize our objectives." Similar remarks were made by 'Omar Al-Ghoul, who was an advisor to former Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad, in an article he posted on a Palestinian website.
The official Facebook page of the Fatah movement, headed by 'Abbas, posted an obituary for the shooter released by Fatah-Jerusalem in Beit Surik, which refers to him as a "martyred hero" of the Fatah movement. Statements welcoming the shooting were also issued by the Gaza-based Nidal Al-'Amoudi Unit, which is part of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, as well as by Hamas, the Popular Front, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Fatah Official Facebook Page Mourns Death Of "Martyred Hero" Nimr Al-Jamal
The obituary for Nimr Al-Jamal released by Fatah's branch in Beit Surik and posted on the movement's official Facebook page said: "With pride and honor, Fatah-Jerusalem in Beit Surik mourns the death of its martyred hero Nimr Mahmoud Ahmad Muhammad Al-Jamal, who sacrificed his soul on September 26, 2017. Glory and eternity [be the reward of] the pure martyrs. We sacrifice our souls for Al-Aqsa." [1]
The obituary on Fatah's official Facebook page
Spokesman Of Fatah's Recruitment And Organization Commission: If Israel Continues Its Aggression It Can Expect More Violence
As stated, Mounir Al-Jaghoub, the spokesman of Fatah's recruitment and organization commission, refrained from condemning the Har Adar shooting and held Israel responsible for it, saying: "Israel bears the sole responsibility for all Palestinian reactions to the crimes of the occupation. If it persists in its ceaseless aggression against the Palestinian people, it can expect more violence. Israel's actions against the Palestinians, every day and in every place, are the reason for the cycle of violence. Israel must understand the consequences of its actions."[2]
After Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Yoav Mordechai condemned his statements, Mounir Al-Jaghoub responded: "Israel only proves its [own] day-to-day failure when it accuses the PA of incitement while deliberately forgetting that the occupation and settlements constitute the worst kind of incitement and are the primary reason for the violence, instability and bloodshed. They are the oil [spilled] on the flames and the conflagration that threaten the entire region..." He added: "We in the Fatah movement continue our struggle to realize our objectives... We are committed to the option of popular resistance and opposition to the occupation. Israel must understand that its ongoing disregard of our rights will not bring it security and peace. It must be reasonable and end the criminal occupation, and accept the two-state solution, for the alternative is a binational state within [the borders of] historical Palestine with equal rights and duties for all."[3]
Mounir Al-Jaghoub (image: Facebook.com/officialfateh1965, September 26, 2017)
Mounir Al-Jaghoub's response to Yoav Mordechai on Fatah's official Facebook page (image: Facebook.com/officialfateh1965, September 26, 2017)
The statement issued by the Gaza-based Nidal Al-'Amoudi Unit of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades said: "The heroic operation was a natural reaction to the crimes of the occupation and the aggression against Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa mosque. We welcome this heroic operation... It [conveys] a clear message that the Palestinian people's faith in armed resistance remains strong and that operations of self-sacrifice are the only language the occupation understands."[4]
Palestinian Columnist: The Shooting – A Natural Reaction By A People Under Occupation
'Omar Al-Ghoul, who was an advisor to former Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad and today writes a column for the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, wrote on a Palestinian website that the shooting was a response to Israel's actions and a message that Israel will pay a heavy price for continuing the settlements: "The natural reaction of a people under occupation is to oppose the occupation, rise up against it and cause it to pay a heavy price for its policy. The martyr Nimr did not belong to any organization, but the national impetus, which is burned into his consciousness, was more powerful than any organizational affiliation. That is why he decided to defend his national identity by undertaking to remind the Israeli imperialists that the price for continuing the settlements will be very high... The attack was a very clear message, [comprehensible] to any reasonable person, that the Palestinian people are able to defend their right to live and to gain their independence, no less than they believe in peace and wish for it."[5]
