PA reportedly cancels ceremony to name public square after terrorist.
By HERB KEINONDalal al-Mughrabi.(photo credit: Courtesy)
A security cabinet discussion on establishing a formal governmentmechanism to monitor Palestinian incitement was put off Wednesday forat least a week, a day before a ceremony scheduled in Ramallah toformally name a public square after Dalal Mughrabi, the terrorist wholed the 1978 Coastal Road massacre.The security cabinet is likely to discuss the incitement monitoring mechanism in the near future.Israel has complained to the US administration about the namingceremony, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reportedly asked USMiddle East envoy George Mitchell to convince Palestinian AuthorityPresident Mahmoud Abbas to cancel it.The ceremony is scheduled to take place on the 32nd anniversary of theattack, the worst terrorist incident in Israel’s history, in whichterrorists commandeered a bus and murdered 37 people, including 10children. Mughrabi was killed during the attack.According to a media reports quoting Palestinian sources Wednesday night, the PA has ordered the cancellation of the ceremony.Itamar Marcus, the director of Palestinian Media Watch, which has beenmonitoring incitement in the PA for years, said that under the newinitiative, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, currently thedirector-general of the Strategic Affairs Ministry and formerly thehead of Military Intelligence’s research and assessment division, willevery three months issue an incitement “report card.”“One of the biggest problems is the incitement, and how it createsheroes and role models for kids. The naming of the square is a clearmessage that whoever kills most Israelis is the greatest hero,” Marcussaid.Marcus said his organization has been in contact with Kuperwasser, thedirector-general of the Strategic Affairs Ministry, and discussedcreating an index that would quantify the incitement.“The message that is important to get across is that without peaceeducation there cannot be peace, and if you teach and promote hatredthere cannot be peace,” he said.Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.
