Violent Incitement Against Trump On Fatah Social Media Accounts: Comparisons To Hitler, Execution In Effigy

The announcement of U.S. President Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and stating that the American embassy would be moved there sparked outrage among the Palestinian leadership and public. It was described as a crime against the Palestinian people that makes the U.S. complicit in the Israeli occupation and invalidates the U.S. role in resolving the Palestinian conflict.[1]

Palestinian President Mahmoud 'Abbas, who is also head of Fatah, and other Fatah officials, harshly condemned Trump's announcement, calling upon him to retract it and even comparing it to the Balfour Declaration. Fatah officials also urged the Palestinians to escalate the intifada and hold "days of rage," with some even calling to carry out resistance by every means.[2]

Fatah's official Facebook and Twitter pages, and other social media accounts, were notable in posting violent incitement against Trump, especially in the form of graphics and videos denouncing and threatening him.

The following is a sampling of posts from Fatah's official Twitter and Facebook accounts and from Fatah-affiliated accounts.

 

A December 14, 2017 graphic posted on Fatah's official Twitter account combined photos of Trump and Hitler, with the English caption: "I can't see any differen[ce]. Can you?", and the hashtag "Hands Off Alquds [i.e., Jerusalem]."[3]

 

On December 10, Fatah tweeted a photo of "students from the Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie in Tul Karm hanging Trump in effigy."[4]

 

A graphic tweeted on December 12 features Trump and other members of his administration, and compares the U.S. to ISIS: [5]

 

A Fatah tweet posted ahead of the planned visit of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in the West Bank showed Palestinians burning a picture of Pence, with the caption: "Bethlehem Welcomes The Messengers Of Peace, Not The Messengers Of War. Pence go home!"[6]

 

On the same day, Fatah tweeted an image referencing the New Testament scene of Christ expelling the merchants and money changers from the Temple. In the image, Christ whips Trump, while representatives of powerful U.S. financial institutions flee. The image is captioned: "Jerusalem is not yours to give to anyone."[7]

 

A video tweeted on December 9 shows people kicking the naked bottom of a Trump effigy. The accompanying text says: "judge for yourselves."[8]

 

A December 7 post on Fatah's official Facebook account shows protesters in Nablus burning Trump in effigy.[9]

 

Violent and inciting graphics produced by Fatah were also posted on other social media accounts associated with the movement. The Student Union of the Shabiba, Fatah's youth movement, at the Hebron Polytechnic posted on its Facebook page a Fatah notice announcing a mass march in Hebron along with an image of Trump as a pig and an graphic of two rifles.[10]