A Palestinian assailant was killed late Saturday at a military checkpoint at the entrance to East Jerusalem after a botched attempt to hurl the explosive he was carrying at Israeli border policemen, Israeli media reported.Ma'an Arabic has flowery praise for the would-be terrorist whom they claim was 14 years old, saying that "Muhammed was the fruit of the spirit of resistance and firmness planted by his grandparents to the next generation" and repeatedly referring to him as a "martyr."
No Israelis were hurt in the incident, which apparently saw the terrorist detonate the explosive prematurely.
The botched attack took place near the town of Abu Dis. The terrorist was named as Muhammad Halbiya, 18.
Ma'an is funded by an array of Western sources, as its 2014 financial statement shows:
Remember, Halbiya was not killed by Israeli forces. He accidentally killed himself when trying to attack. Even so, he is praised as a "martyr," showing that for the supposedly moderate and independent Western-funded Ma'an, attacking Jews is in itself a praiseworthy event. Ma'an believes that blowing oneself up prematurely is a heroic act as cause as long as the target is Israeli.
In the past, Ma'an has defended itself for using the term "martyr" in Arabic as just the vernacular of its readers. But this story shows that Ma'an isn't using the word as a neutral term but to praise the bomber.
Do the Dutch, Swedish and Americans who fund Ma'an agree that Halbiya should be described in such glowing terms? Does Catholic Relief Services believe that an institution that praising terrorists is a worthy grant recipient? What does "Save the Children" think about a (possible) child who blows himself up in an attempt to kill others?
Arab media, including Jordanian and official PA media, are angry at a delay in allowing Red Crescent ambulance to reach the dead teen. None of them are upset at the idea that a teenager wants to throw bombs at Jews.
The funeral for the terrorist shows anger, not sadness. Since Israel had nothing to do with his death, the anger is instructive.
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