The Deliberate Murder of Israeli Children by Palestinian Terrorists Has A History (Daled Amos)

By Daled Amos

Hamas supporters around the world, who march, harass, and vandalize in support of these terrorists, are outspoken about how their heroes are merely "resisting" Israeli oppression when they massacre over a thousand Israelis and kidnap hundreds more as hostages.

But do they justify Hamas when they murder infants and toddlers?

They may push the Hamas narrative that these innocents were killed by Israel itself because the IDF tried to rescue the hostages.

Another way is denial, just as "protesters" have attempted to deny the Hamas raping of women on October. The UN already debunked their denial in March 2024:

“It was a catalogue of the most extreme and inhumane forms of killing, torture and other horrors,” including sexual violence, [Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten] stated. The team also found convincing information that sexual violence was committed against hostages, and has reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may still be ongoing against those in captivity.

That is not stopping those in denial over Hamas murdering the Bibas children.

Meet Arnesa Buljušmić-Kustura:

She describes herself as a genocide researcher, an educator, and a genocide survivor of the Bosnian Serb army.

But to claim that the hostages were physically OK and untouched? Being a survivor of genocide does not automatically confer on her special understanding of genocide or those who commit it.

Buljušmić-Kustura not only seems to ignore the victims of the Hamas massacre itself, but seems to forget how malnourished the released hostages have been and the accounts they have given, as well as the account from the UN in 2024 as quoted above.

Factcheck.org already pointed out in November, 2023, that at least 29 children were murdered by Hamas according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as well as 30 children taken hostage according to the AP. 

Even then, Factcheck.org notes people on social media attempting to deny children were killed, so Buljušmić-Kustura has good company.

Has she forgotten that when Gazans flooded into Israel and slaughtered Israeli civilians, they wiped out entire families such as the Kapshetar family and the Siman Tov family?

But Palestinian terrorists murdering children is not new. 

Before the re-establishment of the state of Israel, Arabs murdered children along with the adults:

• 1929 Hebron Massacre – Arab mobs slaughtered 67 Jews, including women and 3 children. Survivors reported brutal killings of entire families.
  
  
• 1938 Tiberias Massacre – Arab assailants murdered 19 Jews, including 11 children, when they attacked a Jewish neighborhood and set houses on fire.

Here are some of the post-1948 massacres of Israeli children 10 years old and younger over the years.

Name of Massacre	Names and Ages of Child Victims	Perpetrators	Sources
Avivim School Bus Massacre May 22, 1970; near Moshav Avivim, Israel	- Rachel Eliyahu, 9 - Sarah Eliyahu, 7 - Miriam Eliyahu, 7 - Avraham Abuhatzira, 8 - Kochava Abuhatzira, 7 - Dina Cohen, 8 - Miriam Dadon, 9 - Rina David, 8 - Zemira Shmuel, 7	Terrorist Group: Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) Individual Terrorists: Not specified	Wikipedia: Avivim School Bus Massacre
Nahariya Attack April 22, 1979; Nahariya, Israel	- Einat Haran, 4 - Yael Haran, 2	Terrorist Group: Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) Individual Terrorist: Samir Kuntar	Wikipedia: Nahariya Attack
Shalhevet Pass Murder March 26, 2001; Hebron, West Bank	- Shalhevet Pass, 10 months	Terrorist Group: Fatah Individual Terrorist: Mahmoud Amru	Wikipedia: Shalhevet Pass
Sbarro Pizzeria Bombing August 9, 2001; Jerusalem, Israel	- Yocheved Shoshan, 10 - Avraham Schijveschuurder, 4 - Tzira Schijveschuurder, 2	Terrorist Group: Hamas Individual Terrorists: - Izz al-Din Shuheil al-Masri (suicide bomber) - Ahlam Tamimi (mastermind)	Wikipedia: Sbarro Pizzeria Bombing
Itamar Attack (Shabo Family) June 20, 2002; Itamar, West Bank	- Avishai Shabo, 5	Terrorist Group: PFLP Individual Terrorist: not specified	Wikipedia: Itamar Attack
Kibbutz Metzer Massacre November 10, 2002; Kibbutz Metzer, Israel	- Matan Ohayon, 5 - Noam Ohayon, 4	Terrorist Group: Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Individual Terrorist: not specified	CNN
Fogel Family Massacre March 11, 2011; Itamar, West Bank	- Elad Fogel, 4 - Hadas Fogel, 3 months	Terrorist Group: Not specified Individual Terrorists: - Amjad Awad - Hakim Awad	Wikipedia: Itamar Attack

There is an online slide presentation that lists 123 Israeli children murdered by Palestinian terrorists between 2000 and 2005. According to the presentation, the deliberate Palestinian murder of children started in October 2000:

Here are the children deliberately murdered by Palestinian terrorists, from 17 years to one day old:

The memories of these precious neshamas should be a blessing, and a further reminder of why Hamas terrorists cannot be allowed to remain in Gaza so close to Israel.

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Where In The World Is Released Terrorist Abu Warda Supposed To Be--And Why Does It Matter? (Daled Amos)

By Daled Amos

Israel has announced that it is pausing the release of Palestinian Arab terrorists in exchange for Israeli hostages. Specifically, Israel will stop releasing the prisoners until Hamas stops staging “ceremonies that humiliate our hostages." 

This follows the condemnation by the UN human rights chief, Volker Turk last week:

The parading of bodies in the manner seen this morning is abhorrent and cruel and flies in the face of international law.

But this past Thursday, when the remains of the Bibas babies were paraded around in coffins, another apparent violation by Hamas was mentioned in passing.

In the middle of an article describing Hamas's parade, the Wall Street Journal notes:

Amid the crowds were some Palestinians recently released by Israel in the cease-fire deal who, according to the terms of the agreement, were supposed to be exiled from Gaza. Those spotted in the crowds included Mohammed Abu Warda, who was sentenced for planning a 1996 bus bombing that killed more than 40 Israelis.

 Haaretz describes Abu Warda in more detail:

Mohammad Abu Warda, who was sentenced to 48 life terms for his role in two terror bombings on Jerusalem's bus line 18 in 1996, which killed 45 people. In court, he declared, "The struggle of our people against you will never end. On the contrary, we will stand firm and determined until you leave our land." At the time, the military prosecutor described him as "a mass murderer standing before the court today."

While the Wall Street Journal believed he was supposed to be exiled from Gaza, when Abu Warda spoke with Al Araby, the interviewer told him very matter-of-factly, "Today, you are being sent to Khan Yunis"-- in Gaza.

But unlike either the Journal or Al Araby, Haaretz was not sure where Abu Warda was supposed to be deported to--and so reported that he was to be exiled to either Egypt or Gaza.

Abu Warda's appearance in Gaza was also confirmed on X. Abu Warda wasn't hiding. On the contrary, he gave an interview. According to the Times of Israel, he made it very clear that Hamas terror attacks would continue “until we reach liberation of [Jerusalem] and all our lands.”

Was Abu Warda exiled to Gaza? That would seem unlikely. According to Haaretz, he was sentenced to a total of 48 life terms, making Abu Warda "the prisoner with the most Israeli murder convictions among those being released." Israel is hardly likely to want such a prominent terrorist back in Gaza where he would serve as an inspiration to wannabe terrorists.

But if Israel's intent was for Abu Warda to be exiled to Egypt, why is he in Gaza? Is Hamas again violating the cease-fire?

According to the Times of Israel, Egypt--which was one of the countries involved in formulating the terms of the cease-fire--is not cooperating with its implementation:

According to the Kan broadcaster, Egypt refused to grant entry to Abu Warda and 19 other released security prisoners and has demanded that other prisoners it has already taken in be deported elsewhere before it will accept new prisoners.

Hamas claims initial agreements have been received from Algeria, Indonesia, Malaysia and Qatar to accept released Palestinian prisoners, but this has not yet been implemented, Kan reported.

Theoretically, this terrorist could end up in Gaza, Egypt, Algeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, or Qatar. But barring the implementation of a plan for Gaza that rids it of Hamas, Gaza does seem to be his most likely destination.

Where he can plan his next mass murder attack.

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The Arab World Wants To Force Gazans To Stay--Isn't That Also A Violation Of International Law? (Daled Amos)

By Daled Amos

The Associated Press cheerfully reports that the Egyptian plan for Gaza is moving right along:

Egypt is developing a plan to rebuild Gaza without forcing Palestinians out in a counter to President Donald Trump's proposal to depopulate the territory so the U.S. can take it over.

Egypt's state-run Al-Ahram newspaper said the proposal calls for establishing "secure areas," equipped with mobile houses and shelters, within Gaza, where Palestinians can live initially while Egyptian and international construction firms remove and rehabilitate infrastructure.

Ever since Trump first announced his idea of permanently removing all Palestinian Arabs from Gaza, the media has been attacking his plan as a major violation of international law. The New York Times pulled out all of the stops when it condemned Trump's idea:

The forced deportation or transfer of a civilian population is a violation of international humanitarian law, a war crime and a crime against humanity.

Even so, the article admits that Trump's plan can be salvaged by allowing the Gazans to return at some point. That would allow for "the strongest legal defense of his plan: It is legal under the laws of war to temporarily evacuate civilians for their own safety."

Actually, the insistence on the automatic illegality of forced displacement is being overstated. Forced displacement is not by definition a violation of international law. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR):

Forced displacement is often, but not always, unlawful. While international law provides numerous safeguards against forced displacement, there may be circumstances in which it can serve a legitimate purpose. Even in such cases, however, it must meet certain minimum safeguards and take place in conditions of safety and dignity.

This is followed by a note indicating that not only can forced displacement be legal--preventing people from leaving their country can be just as much a violation of international law:

Limiting a person's freedom to leave their country also violates international law.

And the New York Times will be the first to admit that Gaza is not safe for its inhabitants:

Even with a cease-fire in place, Gaza remains extremely dangerous to civilians because of unexploded bombs, many of them hidden beneath rubble or underground, as well as catastrophic damage to civilian necessities like shelter, water, and power.

This right to leave the territory is also enshrined within the Geneva Convention:

But wait. Do Palestinian Arabs really want to leave Gaza?

According to the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research:

24% of the public say they want to emigrate due to political, security, and economic conditions. The percentage in the Gaza Strip stands at 32% and in the West Bank at 19%. Three months ago, 20% of West Bankers expressed a desire to emigrate and 30% of Gazans expressed the same desire.

This was in March 2023, before the Hamas massacre and the beginning of the war. The number of Gazans who want to emigrate has likely increased since then. Also, this number may undercount how many Gazans want to leave. After all, how many Palestinians would openly admit that they want to leave? 

More than that, Itamar Marcus of Palestinian Media Watch suggests other reasons why even more Gazans want to emigrate:

Facing years of life in tents and rubble, breathing dust and hearing endless construction noise, the number wanting to leave today, especially among the youth who desire to start a life and build a future, will be far above 50%.

The Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD), published a September 2024 survey that indeed showed that the number of Gazans who wanted to leave Gaza had gone up to just short of 50%.

 

Marcus points out that whatever that number is, once the opportunity to leave Gaza presents itself, even more Palestinian Arabs will want to emigrate:

Once people start leaving, those left behind will feel jealous of those already out of the Gaza hell. Once those who are resettled start sending messages about their new lives and pictures of their new homes, the floodgates will open.

Yet despite the desire of half of Gazans to leave, not only does Egypt, and the rest of the Arab world, insist on their staying, they claim--as do the international law experts quoted in the media--that they all have only the best interests of Gaza at heart while Trump is ignoring international law.

Natasha Hausdorff, a British barrister and expert in international law exposes this farce in a recent interview:

Trump has, perhaps uniquely exhibited a humanitarian concern for those Palestinians that have otherwise been trapped in Gaza as a result of the international community's decision to say, uniquely, Palestinians may not be permitted to leave a war zone and that has been a really extraordinary state of affairs over the last year and a half...A change by this American Administration does, I think project some form of hope to those Palestinians who have been so neglected and abused not just by the terrorist proxies of this Iranian regime but also seemingly by the complicity of the international community. [at 5:40 of the interview]

The Arab world has shown they will go to any length to keep Palestinian Arabs trapped in the Gazan war zone. The international community needs to take the initiative that Trump has started and find homes for the Palestinian Arabs of Gaza. And the media, which shows pictures of Gaza in ruins, needs to face up to the implications of those images for the future of Gazans.

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Long Before Plans To Make It Another Riviera, Gaza Was Actually Compared To Singapore (Daled Amos)

By Daled Amos

On February 4th, Trump held a joint press conference with Netanyahu:

We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal. And I don't want to be cute. I don't want to be a wise guy. But the Riviera of the Middle East, this could be something that could be so...This could be so magnificent. But more importantly than that is the people that have been absolutely destroyed that live there now can live in peace in a much better situation because they are living in hell. And those people will now be able to live in peace. We'll make sure that it's done world class.

Trump has not supplied much detail on how he plans to bring this transformation about or what it might look like, but mention of the Riviera does conjure up a certain image:

French Riviera

But Trump is the only one to have come up with a plan. Last year, Netanyahu introduced his own plan for Gaza. Netanyahu called his plan -- Gaza 2035. It has 3 stages:

Stage 1: Humanitarian aid. Israel will create safe areas free of Hamas control. This step is planned to take 12 months to complete. A coalition of Arab countries, consisting of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, and Morocco will supervise humanitarian aid in the safe areas, which would be run by Gazan Palestinians 

Stage 2: Israeli security responsibility would be moved to Israel, while the Arab coalition mentioned in Stage 1 would creat the Gaza Rehabilitation Authority (GRA) to oversee reconstruction and and manage Gaza's finances. This would be coordinated with a "Marshall Plan" and a deradicalization program.

Stage 3: Self-governance. Israel would retain the right to act against security threats. Authority would slowly be transferred either to a local Gaza government or a unified Palestinian government, which would include the West Bank. It would be contingent on Gaza being successfully deradicalized and demilitarized and subject to agreement by all parties. The final step would be for the Palestinian Arabs to fully manage Gaza independently and join the Abraham Accords.

In addition to governance and security, the plan also covers ways to ramp up the Gazan economy. These include various plans for connecting with the Saudi NEOM mega-project, creating massive free-trade zones, creating solar energy fields, and turning Gaza into a hub for electric vehicle manufacturing.

AI-generated image of Gaza found in the PMO's plan for a post-war Gaza, May 3, 2024.

But talking about turning Gaza into a Riviera might remind us of a time when Gaza--and the West Bank--had an economy whose potential for growth rivaled, and even surpassed, some formidable economies at the time.

In the July/August 2002 edition of Commentary Magazine, Efraim Karsh wrote an article, What Occupation? He describes Gaza and the West Bank following the Six Day War, when those areas came under Israeli control.

Efraim Karsh writes about how severe the situation of the Palestinian Arabs was before the start of Israeli control following the 1967 War:

The larger part, still untold in all its detail, is of the astounding social and economic progress made by the Palestinian Arabs under Israeli "oppression." At the inception of the occupation, conditions in the territories were quite dire. Life expectancy was low; malnutrition, infectious diseases, and child mortality were rife; and the level of education was very poor. Prior to the 1967 war, fewer than 60 percent of all male adults had been employed, with unemployment among refugees running as high as 83 percent. Within a brief period after the war, Israeli occupation had led to dramatic improvements in general well-being, placing the population of the territories ahead of most of their Arab neighbors.

Compare that with the the development of Gaza just during the 1970's:

During the 1970's, the West Bank and Gaza constituted the fourth fastest-growing economy in the world-ahead of such "wonders" as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Korea, and substantially ahead of Israel itself.

The World Bank report, published in 1993, bears this out. 

Page 10 of the report discusses the crisis in 1993 resulting from the First Intifada and compares that to the economic situation of both Gaza and the West Bank during the 1970's:

The charts below from page 13 support Karsh's conclusion. The growth of the economies of the West Bank and Gaza outpaced Singapore, Hong Kong, and Korea, and was substantially ahead of Israel:

The intifada's and the border closings necessary for security reasons did not do the Palestinian Arabs any favors. 

But that did not stop Israel from making another offer to help turn the Gazan economy around. In March 1995, the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered to see to it that Soon The Gaza Strip Will Be Competing with Singapore, thanks to

industrial parks which the leadership of the [Israeli] Foreign, Industry and Finance Ministries is planning at this very moment, under total secrecy. The goal: to establish between 8 to 11 such parks on the cease-fire line between Israel and the autonomous areas, which the Palestinian Authority will control within the next few months.

Foreign Minister Shimon Peres is the one who envisioned all this, and those close to him say with pride: We are getting closer to Singapore, Taiwan and Hong-Kong, in huge steps.

And then, after the vision arrives to develop the cities Gaza, Dir Al- Balah, Ofakim and Sderot it will be copied in the cease-fire line between Afula and Jenin, to Mt. Hebron and Tul-Karm, and will reach the entrance of Kochav Yair.

Each industrial park will be established for about 10,000 employees, and will sit on 2,000 dunam of land, with considerable financial assistance from foreign investors and also governmental subsidies. The Palestinians will run them, and be its workers, for the most part.

Gazan cooperation was not forthcoming, so neither was the rejuvenation of the Palestinian Arab economy.

So here we are, once again, offering to reimagine Gaza.

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ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan Shakes Hands With A Terrorist (Daled Amos)

In the search for justice, the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan apparently makes house calls.

Last month, Mr. Khan visited Syria and shook hands with Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's new leader. Why? According to France  24, Khan's office announced that the purpose of the visit was to see how the office of the prosecutor. 

can offer its partnership in support of the efforts of Syrian authorities towards accountability for alleged crimes committed in the country.

This would be a major change in the UN Security Council's policy. For years, the UN Security Council has been deadlocked on whether to refer the devastation of Syria to the ICC. In 2014, China and Russia blocked a Security Council resolution to refer Syria to the ICC.

Khan's new friend, Ahmed al-Sharaa, used to be known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani when he founded and led Jabhat al-Nusra in 2012 when it was the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. 

Al-Nusra rebranded as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (JFS) in 2016 and claimed to have cut its ties to al-Qaeda. Then, in 2017, JFS merged with other Islamist groups to form Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Abu Mohammad al-Julan remained the leader of HTS. 

 When he met with Khan, he was using the name Ahmed al-Sharaa, in part to distance himself from his terrorist past.

Al Nusra / HTS was designated as a terrorist group for a reason:

o  June 2015: Fighters from Syria's al Qaeda branch, the Nusra Front, killed at least 20 Druze villagers, raising fear among Syria's minorities.

o  July 2016: Amnesty International reported that “In Aleppo and Idleb today, armed groups have free rein to commit war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law with impunity. Shockingly, we have also documented armed groups using the same methods of torture that are routinely used by the Syrian government." One of the groups cited was al Nusra.

o  March 2017: Al Nusra claimed responsibility for a twin bombing in Damascus that killed at least 40 people, the majority of them Iraqi Shia pilgrims.

Back in those days, Ahmed al-Sharaa did not wear a suit:

Because of this history, the US, the EU, and the United Nations designated HTS as a terrorist organization:

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an armed group designated as a terrorist organization by the UN Security Council, has emerged as the dominant force in Syria, following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

This article on UN News is noteworthy because it contains an interview with Kiho Cha, a senior political affairs officer at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Cha describes a workaround that allows for cooperation with terrorist groups:

Until recently there were some questions as to whether humanitarian actors would even be able to operate in Syria. However, there is now a carve out to the assets freeze measures against HTS, specifically for humanitarian organizations.

This carve-out allows humanitarian organizations to operate without being cited for sanctions violations.

The question is: how far can these exemptions go?

UN News: Are there similar carve outs to allow international negotiations to take place?

Kiho Cha: Yes, there are generally procedures by which a petitioner, usually an individual, would seek an exemption for a variety of reasons. For example, members of the Taliban who say that they need to travel outside of Afghanistan for political facilitation. But it could be for other reasons, such as medical needs. Petitioners can also apply for exemptions to the asset freeze.

Did Khan have something like this in mind to justify shaking hands with the terrorist?

Israel might want to know. 

According to the Kurdish news site Rudaw, Israel was outraged with the ICC chief prosecutor's Syria visit, and Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's foreign minister posted online:

Recall that Khan took the odd step to first announce the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant during an interview with Christiane Amanpour.

According to Barak Ravid, Khan backed out of an agreed-upon trip to discuss the investigation with Israeli officials:

We recently posted that in November, Ynet News reported that Khan had been using a pro-Palestinian law firm in connection with the case, raising questions about his impartiality:

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan's engagement of Bindmans, a law firm linked to Palestinian advocacy, raises conflict of interest concerns, potentially undermining his impartiality in pursuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant

Bindmans represents several Palestinian organizations that have urged Khan to issue arrest warrants against senior Israeli figures. Notably, Tayab Ali, a partner at the firm, is the director of the "International Center of Justice for Palestinians," a London-based organization actively involved in international legal actions against Israel. Another partner, Alice Hardy, represents the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, headquartered in Ramallah.

These two Palestinian organizations, closely associated with Bindmans, have submitted multiple notices to the ICC regarding Palestinian issues. 

Over and over, the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has shown a decided lack of professionalism and respect for proper procedure. All things considered, a representative of the International Criminal Court shaking hands with the leader of a recognized terrorist group might just be business as usual.

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Is Trump Willing To Apply Pressure On Jordan--And If So, Over Which Pressing Issue? (Daled Amos) (updated)

By Daled Amos (updated with new information)

Jordan's King Abdullah II will be the first Arab leader to meet with Trump since he assumed office. 

In past years, when the King of Jordan visited the US, a major topic of discussion has been its refusal to honor its treaty with the US and extradite Ahlam Tamimi for her role in masterminding the Sbarro Massacre in 2001. Instead of being imprisoned or at least shunned, Ahlam Tamimi went on to become a television host and public speaker with celebrity status in Jordan.

Last week, there were reports Jordan was finally considering expelling the terrorist and was ready to extradite Tamimi to the US if no Arab state was willing to take her in. Later, Jordanian Parliament Speaker Ahmad al-Safadi denied these reports. Normally, this would have led to speculation online about Tamimi's extradition. But this time, Jordan is a topic of discussion for other reasons.

The media is abuzz with stories about Trump's plan for Gazans to clear out and relocate to Jordan and Egypt. With Trump's invitation to King Abdullah II to visit the US, connecting his visit with Trump's plans for Gaza is only natural.

Another consideration is Trump's 90-day funding freeze on all foreign aid. Israel and Egypt are the only two exceptions. That leaves Jordan under the freeze. This is a topic the king is likely to bring up, giving Trump leverage. But will he use it as a bargaining chip for his Gaza plan or for extraditing Tamimi? We know that kind of leverage works, because of indications that Abbas is ending the infamous "pay for slay" program. The leverage in this case may be the threat of US courts imposing heavy fines on the PA in connection with lawsuits filed by families of terror victims. Financial pressure works. [Update: newer information indicates that Abbas's claim to end "pay for slay" merely moves the program to the Palestinian Economic Empowerment Foundation. Times of Israel reports that the change just "moves the families of prisoners and slain attackers into the same welfare system as the rest of Palestinian society, which receives stipends strictly based on economic need"]

Could we be entering a new era in the way the US is willing to deal with terrorist attacks on US citizens?

In 2016, then-Congressman Ron DeSantis chaired a hearing before the Subcommittee on National Security of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The topic was Seeking Justice for Victims of Palestinian Terrorism in Israel. At issue was whether the Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism was fulfilling its purpose and obtaining justice for the families of the victims of Palestinian terrorism.

DeSantis questioned the Assistant Attorney General on the 64 Americans killed and 91 wounded between 1993 and 2016

Mr. DeSantis: Mr. Wiegmann, the committee has counted that since '93, at least 64 Americans have been killed, as well as two unborn children and 91 have been wounded by terrorists in Israel in disputed territories.

How many terrorists who have killed or wounded Americans in Israel or disputed territories has the United States indicted, extradited, or prosecuted during this time period?

Mr. Wiegmann: I think the answer is--is none.

Mr. DeSantis: Okay. How many terrorists who have killed or wounded Americans anywhere else overseas has the United States indicted, extradited, or prosecuted?

Mr. Wiegmann: I don't have an exact figure for you.

Mr. DeSantis: But it would be a decent size number, though, correct?

Mr. Wiegmann: It would be a significant number, yes.

A few moments later, DeSantis addresses an alleged reason for the failure of the US to prosecute any of those Palestinian terrorists over 23 years:

Mr. DeSantis: Now, it's- been alleged that the reason that DOJ does not prosecute the Palestinian terrorists who harm Americans in Israel, the disputed territories, is that the Department of Justice is concerned that such prosecutions will harm efforts to promote the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, or that it will actually harm the Palestinian Authority.

So let me ask you straight up, is that a consideration the Department of Justice?

Mr. Wiegmann: I can assure that is absolutely not the case.

Mr. DeSantis: And has the State Department ever made arguments to the Department of Justice to handle some of the Palestinian terrorism cases differently than you may normally handle, say, a terrorism case in Asia?

Mr. Wiegmann: Absolutely not.

Even if concerns for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process are what derailed the prosecution of Palestinian terrorists, there are indications that over the next four years, there will be a different approach to that peace process. And if concerns over the fragility of Abdullah II's kingdom are preventing the US from insisting on the proper enforcement of Jordan's treaty with the US and Tamimi's extradition, Trump's willingness to apply pressure may be a good omen.

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