Wednesday, September 23, 2026

09/22 Links Pt1: Israel's Enemies Misjudged the Resilience of Israeli Society; Police foil Manchester Yom Kippur terror plot; Gaza Health Ministry Chief’s Eldest Son Identified as Hamas Commander

From Ian:

Israel Derangement Syndrome
When the subject turns to the Jewish state, formerly robust minds are turning to mayonnaise. Frontal autolobotomies are eagerly being carried out on every campus. Israel Derangement Syndrome (IDS) is a drug that gets you high on self-righteousness while disabling your cognitive faculties.

In reviewing for Variety a movie called "NAZA," about the alleged depravities of the IDF, Jay Weissberg presented with an advanced case IDS, claiming: "The Israeli government has stocked its jails and morgues with Arab men in order to use them as bargaining chips in prisoner exchanges."

Israel doesn't "stock its jails with Arab men" so it can "use them as bargaining chips." Israel is a liberal democracy with written law, due process, proper judicial procedure and carefully vetted judges - all the stuff that Hamas rather famously overlooks. Israel arrests terrorists and other criminals. If they're convicted, they go to prison. Israeli police don't cruise down the streets with tuna nets picking up random Arabs while exclaiming, "Caught another bargaining chip!"

Call Israel a genocidaire, and you're violating what John Erskine called "the moral obligation to be intelligent." Israel's prosecution of the war Hamas started has resulted in around 24,000 combatant deaths among 73,000 war dead in Gaza. That's a civilian-to-warrior kill ratio of about 2 to 1. Women and children are among the innocents killed due to Hamas policy.

No matter how many heart-rending pictures of war carnage appear, genocide means taking major steps toward wiping out a people. A 2 to 1 ratio ain't close to genocide. It isn't even genocide lite. It's tragic that Hamas operations guarantee the deaths of lots of civilians. But that's their way. They embed themselves among innocents, use hospitals as weapons depots, and skulk in a 400-mile network of tunnels. When you're pro-death, all of this comes naturally.

An entity that launches a war has no moral right to complain when it faces a justified counterattack. Japan's response to losing a war it started wasn't to beg for sympathy, but to drop its death cult, join the ranks of liberal democracies, and cease attacking its neighbors. Gaza could move on from Hamas and do the same.
Israel's Enemies Misjudged the Resilience of Israeli Society
The assumption that Israel would collapse under three years of missile attacks has proved mistaken, according to a recent position paper published by Mada al-Carmel, the Arab Center for Applied Social Research, based in Haifa. It said Israel's Jewish public has demonstrated sustained resilience, broadly supports the continuation of military campaigns, and is willing to bear the human and economic costs because of a shared perception of an existential threat.

Similar observations have been made by Dr. Abdel Moneim Said, chairman of the advisory board of the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies, who highlighted conceptual failures that worked against Hamas leaders and Iran's "axis of resistance." The first was a misreading of the effect Israel's internal divisions would have on Israeli society. Instead, Israeli society came together and displayed a resilience that surprised decision-makers in Gaza and Tehran.

Israel's war is not yet over, but victory will be unmistakable if it produces a change in the enemy's consciousness: a recognition that Israel cannot be defeated by force and that attempting to do so is not worthwhile.
Iranian Children Recruited for "Self-Sacrifice" Campaign
Male children under the age of 15 will soon be recruited to join the Islamic Republic's Janfada (self-sacrifice) campaign, the Iranian Labor News Agency reported. Females would need to reach the age of 18.

The Geneva Conventions prohibit the recruitment of minors under the age of 15 by armed groups, while Iran has admitted recruiting children as young as 12.

Military training for the campaign is set to begin in Tehran this week.

They will be trained in "ensuring local security, general war preparations, observation, surveillance, and intelligence measures," as well as "guiding micro-aircraft (drones), which are used in military operations," and "the possibility of using shoulder-launched weapons."

The campaign's spokesperson, Sasan Zare, said it was centered on the cultural slogan, "We have one life, and we give it for Iran."


UK police thwart suspected terror plot targeting Manchester Jewish community ahead of High Holy Day
British counter-terrorism police thwarted a suspected terrorist plot to target the Jewish community in northern England during the High Holy Days, the force announced Tuesday.

Police said two men, aged in their 30s, were arrested in central Manchester on Sunday under counterterrorism legislation, with searches also carried out in Salford and Liverpool.

"This has been a long-running proactive investigation which has led to the disruption of what we believe to be a plot to target the Jewish community in the Manchester area," Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for counter terrorism policing, said in a statement.

She said detectives did not believe that there was any ongoing threat, but police in Manchester said they had stepped up a policing operation during the upcoming Jewish High Holy Days.

The two men were being held in custody in London while further investigations are being carried out.

Two worshippers killed in synagogue attack on Yom Kippur last year
Almost a year ago, two Jewish worshippers were killed in an attack on a synagogue in Manchester during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, which was committed by a British citizen of Syrian descent who had said he was acting for Islamic State.

"We are acutely aware this news will cause further concern to the Jewish community, as well as the wider public, especially given the significant High Holy Day period," Evans said.

"I want to reassure them we are working incredibly closely with colleagues in Greater Manchester Police and partners to ensure we’re doing everything we can to keep them and the wider public safe."

Jewish security organization Community Security Trust called the news "utterly chilling, coming so close to the anniversary of the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Synagogue last year."

"We have been in close communication with police in Manchester and around the country throughout Yom Kippur, as we are continuously as part of our security operation over the High Holy Days," CST said.
Gunman who fired on police outside Canada synagogue dies of gunfight wounds
The gunman who was shot by Canadian police after firing on officers outside a synagogue at the start of Yom Kippur on Sunday evening has died, an official said Tuesday.

The 29-year-old man carrying a shotgun approached a synagogue in Belleville, a city in southeastern Ontario, as worshipers gathered to mark the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

He shot at police, prompting officers guarding the Sons of Jacob congregation to return fire.

The man was hospitalized after the shooting and died on Monday night, said Kristy Dennette, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, which probes shootings involving police.

Dennette told AFP an injured officer remains in stable condition in the hospital.

At a press conference on Monday, Belleville’s deputy police chief Sheri Meeks identified the shooter as Sean Ward, from the neighboring city of Quinte West, and the injured officer as Constable Jeff Smith.

Police have not confirmed that Belleville’s Jewish community was the target of the attack, but Dennette told reporters that “common sense” would suggest the gunman was trying to attack the synagogue.


Gaza Health Ministry Chief’s Eldest Son Identified as Hamas Commander
The IDF and Shin Bet identified Basir al-Bursh, the eldest son of Gaza Health Ministry Director-General Dr. Munir al-Bursh, as a commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba force after he was killed in an Israeli strike near Jabalia in northern Gaza.

Basir, 28, was killed on Saturday, September 19. Reuters independently confirmed that he was Munir al-Bursh’s son.

The Israeli agencies said weekend strikes also killed Yahya Hamdouna and Mohammad Rafa’i, two Hamas operatives whom Israel identified as participants in the October 7, 2023 attack. Rafa’i was additionally identified as a member of Hamas’s Daraj-Tuffah Battalion. According to the joint announcement, the three had recently been advancing attacks against Israeli troops and civilians and working to restore Hamas’s capabilities in what the agencies described as systematic violations of the ceasefire.

Open-source material published after Basir’s death also points toward a militant role in Hamas. Analyst Mark Zlochin posted what he identified as a mourning message from one of al-Bursh’s relatives referring to Basir as a “mujahid commander.” Munir al-Bursh himself was separately recorded addressing his dead son with the words, “By God, you did jihad in His path.”



Family Mourning Used Hamas-Linked Language
In a subsequent analysis, Zlochin highlighted another phrase in a family tribute, which he said declared that the al-Bursh family “continues to offer its finest young men” on “tariq dhat al-shawka.”

The expression draws on Qur’an 8:7, where “dhat al-shawka” refers to the armed party, in contrast to an unarmed caravan.

Hamas has also used the phrase in explicitly militant contexts. On October 10, 2023, three days after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, the terror organization mourned senior officials Zakaria Abu Muammar and Jawad Abu Shamala and said the deaths of its leaders and “mujahideen” would increase its determination to continue on “tariq dhat al-shawka.”

Then-Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh used similar language at the January 2024 funeral of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri, saying the movement would remain faithful to the blood of its dead and continue on the same “tariq al-shawka.”


The ICC Sacrificed Its Credibility to Target Israel
In its initial stages, Israel was one of the driving forces behind establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, it soon became clear that the court had become irrevocably politicized and would be used as another weapon and forum of lawfare against the Jewish state. As a result, Israel, similar to the U.S., never joined the ICC.

The non-existent "State of Palestine" did join the ICC in 2014. From the moment it was admitted, "Palestine" repeatedly and relentlessly urged the court to open investigations against Israeli servicemen and officials for crimes that were alleged to have been committed in "Palestine."

The problem was that an independent "State of Palestine" never existed in the past, nor does it exist today. Thus, in the absence of any clear geographical area that could be called "Palestine," the ICC prosecutor asked the court to define the "the territorial scope of this jurisdiction."

In practice, the ICC prosecutor was asking the court to make a decision not only to invent the non-existent "State of Palestine," but also to set its borders. The ICC decided, in direct contradiction of fact and law, that the "borders" of the new state were the Armistice Lines drawn in 1949.

If the ICC accepts the U.S. position that precludes jurisdiction over officials from non-member states, it would have to accept the same argument concerning Israel. If the court accepts the claim that the U.S., a Western, law-abiding democracy, is both willing and able to investigate and prosecute potential offenders, it would have to accept the same claim with regard to Israel.

Instead of targeting real offenders, the ICC is wasting its time, resources, and finances, pandering to the political whims of those who seek to punish law-abiding countries engaged, within the restrictions and limitations of international humanitarian law, in the war against terror.


‘Anyone would be better,’ Danon says of outgoing UN chief Guterres
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with “moral clarity” at the opening of the high-level debate at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday, according to Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the global body.

“We are grateful for President Trump, for his moral clarity,” the Israeli envoy told JNS. “He touched on the main issues regarding Iran. He spoke about Oct. 7, and I think today the entire world saw that the leader in the White House was willing to lead and show the direction, and I’m sure we will see action, not only the words from the president.”

Danon told JNS that the Israeli delegation won’t miss António Guterres, the outgoing U.N. secretary-general.

“Anyone would be better than Secretary-General Guterres,” the Israeli envoy said. “We have seen the lack of leadership and the fact that he didn’t even visit Israel once after Oct. 7 and equated the IDF to Hamas.”

“His time is running out as the head of the United Nations, and there’s a lot of talk behind closed doors this week about who comes next,” Danon told JNS.

No candidate has yet been able to pull away from the field of those seeking to replace Guterres. Jewish economist Rebeca Grynspan, of Costa Rica, has won two of three straw polls, but hasn’t been able to shake the competition.

The Israeli delegation and its envoy haven’t said publicly whom the Jewish state favors in the upcoming election. Guterres is slated to depart at year’s end.

“We are following the race very carefully, and we want to see a strong leader that will come and change this institution,” Danon told JNS. “You have to reform this place. Look how much time they spend bashing Israel, obsessing with Israel.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Thursday, is scheduled to spend just a matter of hours in New York City.

“First, there will be surprises. I can guarantee that,” Danon told JNS, of Netanyahu’s address.

The premier has often used props at prior U.N. speeches or unveiled major policy goals.

“It’s not an easy week for him. We have the High Holidays. We have the campaign,” Danon said, of Israeli elections, explaining why the prime minister’s visit is to be so quick.

“I’m sure he will speak about Iran, about the Abraham Accords, about the opportunities in the region, and I think that the combination of the leadership of President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, we can achieve a lot more in the region,” Danon told JNS.


Burnham tells UN that Oct 7 Hamas attack and threats to Jews worldwide ‘does not justify’ Netanyahu’s war in Gaza
Andy Burnham told the United Nations General Assembly that the Hamas attack on October 7, and ongoing threats from Iran against Israel and Jewish people worldwide, “does not justify” the actions taken by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Gaza or the West Bank.

In his first speech to the UN gathering in New York, the UK Prime Minister described the Hamas attack in October 2023 as “utterly horrific.”

He said, “I have condemned Oct 7 in the strongest possible terms. We continue to condemn Hamas, and we stand with Israel in the face of the ongoing threats, including from Iran, against Israel and Jewish people around the world.”

However, Burnham insisted, “This does not justify the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank; far too many people have died, including so many children. Far too little aid is getting in, and it has gone on for far too long.”

He then spoke of UK action against Israel over West Bank settlement expansion saying:”Just eight weeks into becoming Prime Minister, working with my Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, I comprehensively reset our position, and we built an international coalition of countries to come with us.”

“We will not stand by as the horrific suffering continues to grow, and the prospect of a two-state solution, the best hope for peace and stability for both nations, comes under attack.” “Last month, Israel issued tenders for the construction of the E1 mega settlement, which would drive a wedge through the West Bank and threaten to put a viable Palestinian state beyond reach,” continued Burnham. “It cannot be allowed to happen.”
Burnham strongly defends sanctions on Israel over settlements at press conference with Trump
Andy Burnham has strongly defended his government’s decision to impose sanctions on Israel over West Bank settlements during a press conference alongside Donald Trump.

The Prime Minister cited the announcement of tenders for expansion of the E1 West Bank corridor project for the decision to act this month, warning that it would “make a two-state solution non-viable.”

Speaking after their first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the US president was asked for his view of the UK’s move.

He insisted, “I don’t know about the move,” before deferring to the UK Prime Minister to respond.

Burnham first recalled that he and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband had alerted Trump to the decision in a phone call the previous day.

He added, “I take this view on this issue.

“We’ve all spoken over the years about the importance of a two-state solution.

“If we face a situation where there’s a tender to put settlements on the West Bank that, in effect, make a two-state solution non-viable, what do we do?

“Because if we do nothing, then it further erodes people’s trust in politics. They think, well, you all talk, but when it comes to action, you’re not prepared to follow up on that talk and do something.”

Burnham then added, “You know, we condemn the Hamas attacks on 7th of October completely, and we will challenge antisemitism wherever we see it.”

Trump agreed, saying he had heard “very strong condemnation” of Jew-hate when he spoke with the Prime Minister.

Burnham then said Miliband had brought forward “targeted action” on “banning the import of goods from the settlements, because at the end of the day, you have to have meaning behind your words; otherwise, trust in politics further evaporates.”
Macron denial Hamas operates in Judea, Samaria ‘grotesque,’ Netanyahu says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called French President Emmanuel Macron’s claims at the United Nations General Assembly that Hamas does not operate in Judea and Samaria “grotesque.”

In his address at United Nations headquarters in New York City on Tuesday, Macron said in French that “Hamas has never operated in the West Bank.”

“The grotesque absurdity of Emmanuel Macron’s statement is staggering,” Netanyahu stated on Tuesday.

“On Sunday, the eve of Yom Kippur, just two days ago, Netanel Shukrun, a French citizen and father of six, was murdered in his car by a Hamas terrorist in Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu stated. “With his final breath, he told his son to run.”

“Hamas terrorists carry out attacks against Jews almost every day,” the prime minister said. “They have murdered countless Israeli civilians in Judea and Samaria. Ignorance is no excuse for erasing their blood.”
Colombia withdraws from South Africa ICJ lawsuit

UN report alleges Gaza war worsened sexual violence risks for Palestinian women
Security measures taken by Israel following October 7, Israeli and American humanitarian efforts, and the displacement of Gaza’s civilian population during the Israel-Hamas War have increased both the severity and frequency of gender-based violence (GBV) experienced by Palestinian women in the territory, the United Nations Population Fund alleged in a report released last week.

Based on information collected from 230 displaced adult women who participated in group discussions hosted by the Women’s Affairs Center between December 2025 and January 2026, UNFPA concluded that Israel’s military response to Hamas had resulted in Palestinian women being subjected to violence by family members, members of the community, and individuals involved in security and aid delivery.

Despite investigations by the New York Post, Daily Mail, Associated Press, and other international media outlets documenting allegations that Hamas members and individuals working for international aid organizations unaffiliated with Israel or the United States sexually exploited Palestinian women and children in Gaza, including by allegedly offering food, medicine, or employment in exchange for sex, the report made no mention of Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organization that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades.

UNFPA acknowledged that women participating in the group discussions would be unlikely to disclose violence committed by armed groups, meaning that the “findings should therefore not be interpreted as indicative of the prevalence or absence of GBV perpetrated by Palestinian armed actors.”

Even before the war, Palestinian women and girls faced 'substantial GBV risks'
The report did acknowledge that, even before the war, Palestinian women and girls faced “substantial GBV risks due to deep-seated gender norms that position women as subordinate to men, limit their autonomy and freedom of movement, and normalize male control over women’s bodies, resources, and decision-making.” These norms, it said, were “embedded in legal, social, and cultural systems.”

According to documents published by UN Women in 2019, outdated laws in the Palestinian territories have long deprived Palestinian women of mechanisms to hold their abusers accountable.

A 2019 UNFPA survey found that nearly two-thirds of married women in Gaza had experienced domestic violence amid the absence of a law criminalizing the abuse.


Trump’s meeting with Arab states on UN sidelines displays US Mideast strategy during war
US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Arab states on the sidelines of the UN is important. It shows continued close ties between the US and key Arab countries. It also shows that Trump can navigate the challenges that have arisen since the war with Iran began in February. All these countries have their own policies, and each has been impacted in some way by the conflict. President Trump showcased his personal approach to diplomacy in the meeting on September 22. This is a key part of his doctrine, and he showed how effective he can be when he is in a room with key leaders.

The meeting included leaders from Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Qatar, and Turkey, as well as officials from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, the UAE, and other countries. Trump called the countries friends, allies, and partners. He spoke about the Middle East as a special place and spoke about peace and prosperity.

Trump was in a positive mood and joked with the countries present. He spoke about his close ties with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He spoke of Erdogan as being tough. He called him fantastic. He also joked that the region was full of high energy, but said it sometimes meant “too high energy.” The US president also said there had been a recent meeting between American and Iranian representatives and that it had been productive. This shows that President Trump is seeking to show the countries that he is working toward more calm and peace.

Many of these countries are concerned about the Iran conflict. Iraq, for instance, has seen its fuel exports reduced. Many countries in the Gulf have been attacked, such as Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE. Saudi Arabia is facing threats from the Houthis. It has wanted more US support against them. It was also attacked by militias in Iraq.

Many of these countries have also been very critical of Israel in their UN speeches.

Jordan expresses concern over West Bank violence, Israeli aggression in Syria
Jordan’s King Abdullah II was particularly critical. He has warned about violence in the West Bank. He also expressed concern about Israel’s aggression, including in Syria. He is expressing concern about other states in the region, which believe that Israel is seeking to become more dominant in the region. For instance, a recent Israeli attack on a base in northern Syria was a warning to Turkey. There have been officials in Israel threatening war with Syria.

Israel’s actions in Syria are under a spotlight.

On September 22, the Israel Defense Forces said that “14 Israeli civilians arrived in the Alonei Habashan area and crossed the border into Syria. IDF soldiers were dispatched to the area and operated to locate them and returned the civilians to Israeli territory.” While the IDF condemned the incident, it also called on law enforcement to “bring those involved to justice and to prevent those individuals from repeatedly engaging in this incident, which constitutes a criminal offense.” In general, these types of incidents have not been charged.

Many countries can’t understand why Israeli officials are hostile to the new government in Syria. They are a chance for possible peace because the former Assad regime had been hostile to Israel and hosted Iran. The new government has shared interests with Israel against Iran and Hezbollah. However, Jerusalem has viewed the new government with suspicion and has backed the Druze in southern Syria. Jordan has carried out airstrikes to stop drug smuggling, which it believes is being fueled by networks in Suwayda. As such, Jordan is concerned about instability in southern Syria.

At the same time, Jordan and Saudi Arabia and possibly Syria are threatened by militias in Iraq. The Trump administration wants Iraq’s prime minister to rein in the militias. Trump has worked to cultivate close ties with Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Shara’a. This was brokered by Saudi Arabia in 2025. In addition, Trump has worked to improve ties with Iraq and Lebanon. The US is supporting talks between Israel and Lebanon.


AG: Disqualification of Balad leader from election ‘should be seriously considered’
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman told the Central Elections Committee (CEC) on Tuesday that an article written by Sami Abou Shahadeh, the head of the radical Balad party, a day after the October 7, 2023, massacre, expressed support for armed struggle by terror groups against the State of Israel.

The two senior legal figures said that the Central Elections Committee should therefore “seriously consider” a request by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party to disqualify Abou Shahadeh from running for Knesset, “in accordance with the legal criteria and in light of Abou Shahadeh’s arguments before the committee.”

They added that Abou Shahadeh’s responses to the accusations against him “do not allay concern that his article reflected an expression of support for armed struggle against Israel, at the worst possible timing.”

Basic Law: The Knesset explicitly prohibits anyone expressing support for armed struggle against the State of Israel from running for Knesset.

Any decision by the CEC to disqualify Shahadeh or other individual candidates requires the approval of the Supreme Court, which has historically struck down such decisions. However, the backing of the attorney general and state attorney for disqualification could make the court more likely to uphold a decision barring the Balad leader from running.

In their legal opinion paper, Baharav-Miara and Aisman focused on an article published by Shahadeh on an Arabic-language website on October 8, 2023, about the massive armed invasion of Israel that took place the day prior.

Calling the invasion the “Al-Aqsa Flood operation” (as it had been dubbed by Hamas), Shahadeh wrote that “this is a historic event of significant military, political, and strategic importance.”

He said that the attack was “entirely consistent with a law of physics we all know: that great pressure leads to explosion,” in reference to what he termed “decades of occupation, siege,” and other alleged misdeeds by Israel.

In a key sentence, Abou Shahadeh wrote that Israel’s intelligence services “are human beings like us” and that “it is possible to prevent them from penetrating our countries, our parties, and our political movements — provided there is the will and we organize in the right way.”

“If the small, besieged Gaza managed to do this, and at this level, then others can do so more effectively and easily,” he continued.

The Balad leader also referred to the “diplomatic fruits of this operation,” saying that, following the war, the “resistance” should extend to the PLO and friendly Arab states “in order to attain the desired achievements.”

Baharav-Miara and Aisman wrote that Shahadeh’s article showed “sympathetic treatment, without a word of condemnation, for the ‘operation’ while focusing on its achievements and the political fruits that could be reaped from it.”


The Group Behind Most Gaza Slain ‘Journalist’ Records Is Run by a Man Who Praises Terrorists
The slain Gaza journalist databases maintained by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are significantly based on the work of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), a radical and partisan organization led by a pro-terrorist politician. PJS’s Terrorism Support

PJS’s president Nasser Abu Bakr, PJS Public Relations and Media director and Gaza branch head Luay Nahed Mohammed Al-Ghoul, and the organization itself have repeatedly expressed support for and advocated on behalf of terrorism and terrorists.

Abu Bakr extolled individual terrorists such as Diaa Hamarsheh, who shot dead four Bnei Brak residents and a police officer in March 2022, calling him a hometown “hero” whose “light” illuminates “the dignity of the Arab nation in a time of meanness, cowardice, and humiliation.”

The PJS head posted martyr posters for other terrorists. Immediately after gunman Muhammad al-Jabari murdered a Kiryat Arba resident and wounded three people, including a paramedic and a Palestinian bystander, Abu Bakr shared a martyr notice and called him a “hero” and “lion of Hebron.” He likewise praised Uday al-Tamimi as a hero after the terrorist was shot dead by security guards at the entrance to Maale Adumim in October 2022. Al-Tamimi had shot and killed a soldier and wounded a security guard at the Shuafat checkpoint ten days prior. After the father of the April 2022 Dizengoff Street mass shooter was killed in an August clash with IDF troops, in which he allegedly attempted to stab soldiers, Abu Bakr shared a Fatah poster congratulating him on his “martyrdom.”

Abu Bakr had also praised well-known terrorist figures, mourning the 2024 death of imprisoned Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) cell commander and “freedom fighter” Walid Daqqa, and memorializing former PFLP spokesman Ghassan Kanafani as a cultural icon to whom they pledged “loyalty and faithfulness.”

“On the anniversary of the martyrdom of journalist, writer and thinker Ghassan Kanafani, one of the most prominent pillars of Palestinian national journalism, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate renews its loyalty to those who wrote in blood for Palestine, raised the Palestinian national flag high, and remained faithful to the covenant with the homeland,” Abu Bakr said on Facebook in July 2022.

Abu Bakr is a proponent of violence more broadly, describing in January 2023 how the “Fatah army in Gaza” was “ready to confront Netanyahu’s new fascist government,” and backed the violence that emanated out of Jenin that same year.

“Jenin and its heroic camp continue to offer up their finest young heroes for the freedom and independence of Palestine,” Abu Bakr said of the IDF’s 2023 crackdown on terrorism in Jenin. “Netanyahu, the intruder on this land, will fall, and Jenin will defeat him, and the people of the land, which is kneaded with the blood of the honorable, will defeat him.”

Al-Ghoul has also expressed support for terrorism. In 2023 and 2025, he shared on social media backing for arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti. In April, the PJS officer praised Fatah co-founder and military wing leader Khalil al-Wazir, the architect of the First Intifada and cross-border raids from Lebanon.

Pro-terrorist propaganda has also been issued from the main PJS social media account. On October 7, 2023, PJS proudly shared its Tunisian counterpart’s statement praising the “achievements of the resistance in southern Palestine.”

As an institution, PJS mourned the Lions’ Den terrorist brother of a PJS member, but it has done more than just report on such news – it has advocated on behalf of imprisoned terrorists. In December 2022, PJS called on Palestinian media outlets to dedicate their coverage to imprisoned terrorists following the death of former Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade leader Nasser Abu Hamid in prison. Abu Bakr shared this call to action on his own Facebook account. Four months prior, PJS sent a delegation to join a protest calling for the release of terrorists at the Gaza Red Cross headquarters, with posters emblazoned with the faces of terrorists and the logos of terrorist organizations.





 




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