Fatah and Palestinian Authority glorify and support terrorists: The case of Omar Abu Layla, who murdered two Israelis near Ariel

 Overview

Abbas Zaki, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, recently presented an award to the family of Omar Abu Layla, who carried out a shooting attack and a stabbing attack near Ariel (killing two Israelis, a soldier and a civilian). Abbas Zaki also visited the village where the terrorist lived and where a new house is being constructed for his family (after the previous one was demolished by the Israeli security forces). Abbas Zaki was accompanied by the secretary of the Fatah branch in Salfit (south of Ariel) and other Fatah activists (official Fatah Facebook page, July 1, 2019).

• The shooting attack and stabbing attacks carried out by Omar Abu Layla near Ariel, which killed two Israelis (March 17, 2019), made him an admired, heroic figure: senior Fatah activists paid condolence calls to his family; the main street of the village he passed through on his way to carry out the attack was named after him; a memorial was erected for him in the village where he hid and was later killed in an exchange of fire with IDF forces; and the social networks praised him and his “heroism.” In practical terms, the Fatah branch in Salfit declared a project to rebuild the terrorist’s house, which was demolished by the Israeli security forces.
• Glorifying Omar Abu Layla is part of the larger practice of turning Palestinians who carry out terrorist attacks, especially those that kill Israelis, into figures of admiration and role models for Palestinian society. Terrorists who are killed (shaheeds) are regarded as national heroes, they are memorialized and their families are supported. Palestinian terrorists receive broad support from the Palestinian Authority (PA), Fatah and other organizations. Glorifying the shaheeds and supporting their families is a function of the Palestinian ethos, at the core of which is the concept of “armed resistance” against Israel. That justifies and encourages the continuation of terrorism against Israel, whether by the terrorist organizations or through popular terrorism.
• Constructing new houses for terrorists is one of the manifestations of political and population support for terrorists who were killed and for their families. It is also a show of defiance towards Israel, a challenge to the message of deterrence Israel tries to send by destroying the houses of terrorists. For example, the Tulkarm municipality and Fatah operatives helped rebuild the house of the family of the terrorist who shot two Israelis to death in the Barkan industrial zone (October 7, 2018). In addition, Mahmoud Abbas ordered the rebuilding of the house of the terrorist who killed an IDF soldier by throwing a marble slab on him during an IDF security activity (May 26, 2018) (The status of the building of both houses is not clear to the ITIC).^[1]

The Stabbing Attack Carried Out by Omar Abu Layla

The attack

• On March 17, 2019, Omar Amin Abu Layla walked from the village of Salfit (near Ariel) to the Ariel bus stop. Two IDF soldiers were securing the location. Omar Abu Layla stabbed one to death, grabbed his weapon and escaped. As he escaped he shot the weapon at three civilian vehicles driving along the road. An Israeli civilian one of the vehicles was shot and mortally wounded, dying the following day.
• Abu Layla took control of one of the vehicles and drove to the junction between Ariel and the Barkan industrial zone, shooting all the way. Reaching the junction, he shot at soldiers standing there and drove away. He abandoned the vehicle near the village of Burqin (about three miles west of Jenin) and escaped on foot. A soldier and a civilian were killed in the attacks, and another soldier was critically wounded.

   
Right: The scene of the stabbing attack. Left: Scene of the attack near Ariel
(Palinfo Twitter account, March 17, 2019).

• On March 19, 2019, two days after the attacks, Israeli security forces surrounded the house in the village of Abwein (Ramallah region) where Omar Abu Layla was hiding. He was killed in an exchange of fire with the Israeli security forces. Fatah’s Shabiba youth movement issued a mourning notice for “its son the heroic shaheed” (official Fatah Facebook page, March 20, 2019). Fatah’s official Facebook page posted a memorial for “the heroic shaheed, Omar Abu Layla.”

    
The house in the village of Abwein where Omar Abu Layla hid and was killed by the Israeli security forces (Wafa, March 20, 2019).

The Glorification of Omar Abu Layla after His Death

• Omar Amin Abu Layla, 19, the terrorist who carried out the deadly attack, was from the village of al-Zawiya, west of Salfit. Killing two Israelis made him an object of admiration, not only for Fatah: Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) were both quick to praise the killing. Social network users posted pictures of him, praising the attack and his “heroism.”

• The Palestinian National Council expressed sadness at the death of Omar Abu Layla and called on the UN to protect the Palestinian people from “Israeli aggression” (Wafa, March 20, 2019). On March 23, 2019, Mahmoud al-‘Alul, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, arrived to offer his condolences to the family in the mourning tent erected for Omar Abu Layla in the village to al-Zawiya. He said Fatah was proud of the shaheed Omar Abu Layla (official Fatah Facebook page, March 23, 2019). A mourning tent was also opened for Omar Abu Layla in the Gaza Strip (Shehab, March 20, 2019).

     
Right: Memorial for Omar Abu Layla, “heroic shaheed,” on the official Fatah Facebook page (official Fatah Facebook page, March 20, 2019). Left: Senior Fatah figure Mahmoud al-‘Alul speaking in the mourning tent erected for Omar Abu Layla (official Fatah Facebook page, March 23, 2019).

• Presenting the terrorist’s family with an award was only one of a series of events commemorating him:
• On March 23, 2019, the Burqin municipality (west of Salfit) decided to name its main street, through which Omar Abu Layla walked to the Ariel Junction, after him in recognition of his “heroism.” Responses of satisfaction, encouragement and esteem were posted to the municipality’s Facebook page, such as “Congratulations and esteem,” “An honorable move, congratulations,” “Honor and esteem to all residents of Burqin” (Burqin municipality Facebook page, March 23, 2019). On March 23, 2019, Fatah also reprinted the Burqin municipality’s decision on its own official Facebook page.

    
Right: The decision of the Burqin municipality (Facebook page of the Burqin municipality, March 23, 2019). Left: The official Fatah Facebook page posts the Burqin municipality’s decision (official Fatah Facebook page, March 23, 2019).

• On March 26, 2019, the residents of the village of Abwein near Ramallah, where Omar Abu Layla hid and where he was killed) named a street for Omar Abu Layla (QudsN Twitter account, March 26, 2019).

    
Residents of the village of Abwein (Ramallah region) name a street for Omar Abu Layla (QudsN Twitter account, March 26, 2019).

• On March 27, 2019, the construction of a memorial for Omar Abu Layla was completed in Abwein opposite the house he hid in, where he was killed (Facebook page of the Fatah movement in Abwein, March 27, 2019).

Building a New House for the Abu Layla Family

On April 24, 2019, the Israeli security forces demolished the house in the village of al-Zawiya were Omar Abu Layla had lived. Immediately thereafter the Fatah movement in Salfit announced that it would rebuild the house. To that end a plot of land was purchased and preparations were made for pouring the foundation. According to reports it would take four months to complete the new house, during which the family would live in temporary housing (Wafa, April 24, 2019). Senior Fatah activist Abbas Zaki visits the site of the new house (Abbas Zaki’s Facebook page, July 1, 2019).

 

     
Right: The secretary of the Fatah branch in Salfit announces the construction of a new house for the terrorist’s family. Left: Preparing the site for constructing the new house (official Fatah Facebook page, April 24, 2019).

    
Right: Abbas Zaki visits the demolished house of Omar Abu Layla’s family in the village of al-Zawiya (Facebook page of the Fatah branch in Salfit, June 22, 2019). Left: Abbas Zaki visits the site where the new house is being constructed for the Abu Layla family (Abbas Zaki’s Facebook page, July 1, 2019).

^[1] For further information, see the December 30, 2018 bulletin, "The struggle for destroying the houses of terrorists' families: the Palestinian Authority and Fatah help rebuild houses destroyed by Israel, thereby challenging the Israeli deterrent message." ↑

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