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Child Abuse: How the Palestinian Authority Promotes Martyrdom to Its Children
Images from an educational Facebook page showing Palestinian children using slingshots in Palestinian Authority schools. Photo: IMPACT-se.
The Palestinian Authority (PA)’s death message to Palestinian children doesn’t get any clearer than this.
The below picture of a Palestinian boy with the PA map of “Palestine” painted on his face was posted by the PA’s Presidential Guard with the following text: “I will sacrifice my life for you, O my homeland” [PA Presidential Guard, Facebook page, Aug. 6, 2024].
Smiling and making a “V” for “victory” with his fingers, the boy seems unaware of the future the PA wants for him as a “Martyr.” Or, perhaps, he is already so deeply affected by the PA’s brainwashing that he actually believes he will be rewarded with 72 virgins in Paradise, as Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) has documented.
The following are recent examples:
Dead teen terrorist wished for Martyrdom, wanted to marry “women from the world to come”
Intisar Nafea, aunt of terrorist Ashraf Nafea: “The women of the neighborhood wouldn’t agree to not have Martyr [children]. Praise Allah, [teen Martyr] Ashraf [Nafea] raises our heads up high. On Aug. 1, [2024,] he was supposed to turn 18 years old. I wanted to do a birthday for him.
He said: “Get me married.” I said: “[You will have] 72 [Virgins] like your uncle.” He said: “Right. I don’t want to marry women from this world, I want to marry [women] from the world to come.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA TV, July 23, 2024]
Dead terrorist to his mother: “I’m going to the Dark-Eyed Maidens in Paradise, I want Martyrdom”
Mother of terrorist Abd Al-Jabbar Al-Sabbagh: “He said to me: ‘Mom, this is the last week you’ll see me. That’s it, bid me farewell.’ I said: ‘Sweetie, why?’ He said: ‘That’s it, I feel I won’t remain much longer.’ I’m satisfied, I’m going to the Dark-Eyed Maidens in Paradise, I want Martyrdom.’ I said: ‘Allah will be satisfied with you.’
Martyrdom is beautiful, not everyone who seeks it merits it, but the farewell is difficult.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA TV News, Aug. 3, 2024]
The Arabic word for Martyrdom is Shahada. Shahada also means “certificate.” A mother of a dead terrorist used a chilling wordplay when her terrorist son was killed while planning a terror attack, thereby not finishing his matriculation exams and not receiving his high school certificate:
“Bassel succeed and received Martyrdom, which is more important than the certificate of the matriculation exams … Bassel succeeded, by Allah he succeeded. Everyone came to congratulate me — his friends and also his study friends.” [emphasis added]
[WAFA, official PA news agency, July 29, 2024]
PMW has reported on this wordplay before, which was even turned into part of the PA’s message to students and their parents. When Palestinian teen terrorists got themselves killed while participating in the PA’s terror wave in 2015-16, the PA glorified them. Even though they missed their graduation certificate (Shahada), the families were told to “be proud of their Martyrdom (Shahada).” The PA summarized that “death as a Martyr is the path to excellence and greatness”:
Sixteen [students] succeeded [in achieving] the Martyrdom (Shahada) of the homeland and withstanding its difficult tests, for death as a Martyr is the path to excellence and greatness, and the path of those who know how to reach the great victory… [emphasis added]
[WAFA (official PA news agency), July 11, 2016; official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 12, 2016]
Accordingly, other families have proudly celebrated their children’s Martyrdom instead of their matriculation, and parents continue to celebrate the death of their children:
Father of teen terrorist: “[My son] is not the first Martyr and not the last, praise Allah … He always told me: ‘I want to die as a Martyr’”
Father of terrorist Khaled Al-Uruq: “[Khaled Al-Uruq] is not the first Martyr and not the last, praise Allah. He asked for [Martyrdom] and achieved it, praise Allah. He always told me: ‘I want to die as a Martyr.’ Praise Allah, [the conditions] were enabled and he achieved it.”
[Official PA TV, April 25, 2024]
Mother of dead terrorist: “For two months he’s been saying: I want to die as a Martyr”
Mother of terrorist Nimr Hamarsheh: “Nimr was happy like that, [because] he wants to die as a Martyr. For two months already he’s been saying: ‘Mom, I want to follow the footsteps of Ahmed, I want to go to Ahmed, I want to die as a Martyr.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA TV News, July 3, 2024]
There is no doubt that the PA message is a soaring success. Hundreds if not thousands have chosen death over life by becoming terrorists, and society is cheering — including parents, spouses, and other family members of dead terrorists:
Father of dead terrorist: Son’s Martyrdom is “bridal crown for entire people” — Martyrdom is “fate of the people”
Official PA TV newsreader: “The body of Martyr Ubeida Hassan Hamed (i.e., terrorist), 18 was laid to rest…”
Hassan Hamed, father of terrorist Ubeida Hassan Hamed: “Praise Allah, this is [a source of] pride and a crown on our heads
Praise Allah, this is mercy from our Lord to this people. This is a bridal crown for this entire people. This is the fate of the Palestinian people, directly from the ground to Paradise.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA TV News, Jan. 29, 2024]
Brother of terrorist “Martyr”: He wanted “the Dark-Eyed Maidens of Paradise”
Brother of terrorist Uday Al-Zayyat “Abu Saqr”: “He would take care of all the household needs. I told him: “Go on and get married” … He told me: ‘Actually I want the Dark-Eyed Maidens of Paradise.’ Praise Allah, Allah granted him Paradise, Allah willing he will see the Dark-Eyed Maidens of Paradise.”
[Official PA TV, Moons of Palestine, March 19, 2024]
Mother congratulates dead terrorist son on his Martyrdom
Mother of terrorist Bashar Nihad Hanani: “Praise Allah, Allah gave him to me and took him. This is not a waste for the sake of Palestine … May Allah be satisfied with him and receive his Martyrdom. Congratulations to him on the Martyrdom.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA TV, Feb. 29, 2024]
Wife of a “Martyr”: “Don’t cry, he’s a groom”
Posted text: “Martyr’s wife: ‘All of you make sounds of joy for him. Don’t cry, he’s a groom and let everyone accompany him to his wedding.’”
Wife of unidentified “Martyr”: “I’m the wife of a Martyr! They haven’t accompanied him to his wedding, let everyone accompany him to his wedding [now]. I married him quietly. Let everyone make sounds of joy, this is entrusted to you! Let no one cry! My husband is a Martyr, let no one cry! My beloved is a Martyr.”
[Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Jan. 3, 2024]
The author is a senior analyst at Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article was originally published.
The post Child Abuse: How the Palestinian Authority Promotes Martyrdom to Its Children first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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HBO Max Acquires US Rights to Scripted Series ‘One Day in October’ About Hamas Attack

Bartender and survivor of the Nova Festival, May Hayat, takes cover as rocket sirens sound, during her first visit to the scene of the attack, on the one-month anniversary of the attack by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on Oct. 7, near Re’im, Israel, Nov. 6, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
HBO Max has acquired exclusive rights in the United States to “One Day in October,” a scripted series based on real-life, first-hand accounts from the deadly Hamas-led terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“One Day in October” is the first real-time scripted portrayal of personal stories from the massacre in southern Israel, where Palestinians terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages. The attack was the deadliest single-day slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.
“One Day in October” will debut on HBO Max in the US on Oct. 7, the two-year anniversary of the attack, FOX Entertainment announced on Monday. Filmed on location in Israel, the four-episode series is co-produced by FOX Entertainment Studios in partnership with Israel’s yes TV, the New York-based production company Sparks Go, and Israel’s ZOA Films, in association with Moriah Media.
The series “presents seven emotionally gripping and artistically interwoven narratives of love, courage, sacrifice and survival,” according to a description provided by HBO Max. “From families torn apart to moments of hope emerging in the face of unspeakable tragedy to incredible bravery against the odds, each episode reveals the human cost and resilience born out of chaos. The series portrays the victims’ and survivors’ experiences of that day and is brought to life by a distinguished cast and acclaimed creative team.”
“One Day in October” is created by Daniel Finkelman, founder of the New York-based production company Sparks Go, and Oded Davidoff, who is also the director and writer on the series. Sparks Go helped co-produce the series.
“The tragic events on Oct. 7 had a profound impact on all of us,” said Fernando Szew, president of FOX Entertainment Studios. “From the very beginning, we approached this series with the utmost care, sensitivity, and urgency to ensure that the stories were told with authenticity and respect and paying homage to the victims and the heroic survivors. Oded and the incredible cast, crew and teams at Sparks Go, ZOA, and yes TV have truly created compelling storytelling that we are proud to showcase.”
The cast includes Swell Ariel Or, Noa Kedar, Naomi Levov, Hisham Suliman, Wael Hamdoun, Yuval Semo, Avi Azulay, Naveh Tzur, Yael Abecassis, Moran Rosenblatt, Michael Aloni, Neta Roth, Sean Softi, Lior Ashkenazi, and Uri Perelman. The series features writing by Liron Ben-Shlush, Davidoff, Amir Hasfari, Keren Weissman, Orit Dabush, and Yona Rozenkier. Jim Berk and Sheldon Rabinowitz with Moriah Media are also executive producers on the series.
“For me, film and television have always been more than entertainment, they are a way to bear witness,” said Finkelman. “These are stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary moments. In a time when truth is fragile, the most powerful thing we can do is to appeal to humanity itself. My hope is that these stories will open hearts and spark meaningful conversation.”
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Merz Says Criticism of Israel in Germany Has Become Pretext for Hatred of Jews

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends celebrations of the newly completed renovation of Reichenbach Strasse synagogue in Munich, Germany, Sept. 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday that criticism of Israel was increasingly being used in Germany as a pretext for stoking hatred against Jews.
Speaking at an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Central Council of Jews, Merz said that antisemitism had “become louder, more open, more brazen, more violent almost every day” since the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, that ignited the Gaza war.
“‘Criticism of Israel‘ and the crudest perpetrator-victim reversal is increasingly a pretext under which the poison of antisemitism is spread,” he said.
Germany is Israel‘s second biggest weapons supplier after the US, and has long been one of its staunchest supporters, in part because of historical guilt for the Nazi Holocaust – a policy known as the “Staatsraison.”
Last month, however, Germany suspended exports of weaponry that could be used in the Gaza Strip because of Israel‘s plan to expand its operations there – the first time united Germany had acknowledged denying military support to its long-time ally.
The decision followed mounting pressure from the public and his junior coalition partner over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In his speech in Berlin on Wednesday, Merz mentioned his about-turn, saying that criticism of the Israeli government “must be possible,” but added: “Our country suffers damage to its own soul when this criticism becomes a pretext for hatred of Jews, or if it even leads to the demand that Germany should turn its back on Israel.”
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Israeli Anti-Missile Laser System ‘Iron Beam’ Ready for Military Use This Year

Iron Beam laser defense system. Photo: X/Twitter screenshot
A low-cost, high-power laser-based system aimed at destroying incoming missiles has successfully completed testing and will be ready for operational use by the military later this year, Israel’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
Co-developed by Elbit Systems and Rafael Advance Defense Systems, “Iron Beam” will complement Israel’s Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow anti–missile systems, which have been used to intercept thousands of rockets fired by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, by Hezbollah from Lebanon, and by the Houthis in Yemen.
Current rocket interceptors cost at least $50,000 each while the cost is negligible for lasers, which focus primarily on smaller missiles and drones. “Now that the Iron Beam’s performance has been proven, we anticipate a significant leap in air defense capabilities through the deployment of these long-range laser weapon systems,” the ministry said.
After years in development, the ministry said it tested Iron Beam for several weeks in southern Israel and proved its effectiveness in a “complete operational configuration by intercepting rockets, mortars, aircraft, and UAVs across a comprehensive range of operational scenarios.”
The first systems are set to be integrated into the military‘s air defenses by year-end, it said.
Shorter-range and less powerful laser systems are already in use.
Iron Beam is a ground-based, high-power laser air defense system designed to counter aerial threats, including rockets, mortars, and UAVs.
“This is the first time in the world that a high-power laser interception system has reached full operational maturity,” said defense ministry Director-General Amir Baram.
Rafael Chairman Yuval Steinitz said that Iron Beam, which is built with the company’s adaptive optics technology, “will undoubtedly be a game-changing system with unprecedented impact on modern warfare.”
For its part, Elbit was working on the development of high-power lasers for other military applications, “first and foremost an airborne laser that holds the potential for a strategic change in air defense capabilities,” CEO Bezhalel Machlis said.