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| Felesteen cartoon celebrating the Beersheva attack |
Haaretz and Times of Israel reports:
The Hura local council quickly condemned the attack and dissociated itself from it, calling upon residents to help stem attempts at escalation. “This act represents only its perpetrator. Under our responsibility as elected officials, we condemn any violence, especially the murder of souls,“ said Habis al-Atauna, the mayor. “In the morning we sat, we talked, and we’re in continual meetings with security officials and municipal leaders to bring calm.”The family of the terrorist also condemned the attack: “We call upon the Israeli intelligence forces to closely monitor the content running wild online. There’s content here entering our homes like drugs, and we have no control over it. We as Arabs in the Negev, if we have some criticism against the government or its policy, we act only in lawful ways. Any act of violence whatsoever is abhorrent.”
While part of these responses come from fear that they will be lumped in with the murderer, these and other quotes indicate that they are not pro forma declarations of opposition to terrorism but honest shock and outrage from the Israeli Arabs of the area at the attack.Hura mayor Habis Atawnah told The Times of Israel that schools and nurseries in the small town would devote hours of discussions to the violent attack by one of their residents.
“We will tell them that this is not our way. We want to educate our children and young people to the values of mutual respect and the sanctity of life,” Atawnah said in a phone call.
The contrast with how Palestinian Arabs respond to terror attacks could not be starker.
Terror groups were quick to praise this attack, and the Palestinian Authority referred to al-Kiyan as a "martyr" in its Facebook page before taking it down after Israeli outrage. People handed out sweets in Gaza.
The official PA and Fatah media have been mostly silent about the attack, concerned that the US will again stop funding them. But when there is a murderous attack by Palestinian Arabs against Jews, the Palestinian response is almost invariably celebration. Even horrific attacks on infants are usually praised on Palestinian TV.
We never see Palestinians horrified by these murders. We never see introspection, wondering how the murderers have become so radicalized. We never see Palestinian op-eds wholeheartedly condemning these attacks without blaming them on Israel.
The reactions out of Hura are welcome - but more importantly, they show a level of morality that simply doesn't exist in Palestinian society, media, and schools. There has never been a comparable reaction in any Palestinian media or from any Palestinian official to the murder of Jews. On the contrary - Palestinian media has daily incitement encouraging Arabs to perform attacks exactly like this one.
The residents of Hura prove the depravity of Palestinian society.
