Uncategorized
Palestinian Authority Condemns Terrorism Against Arabs — But Not Against Jews
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Nov. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
The Palestinian Authority (PA) knows perfectly well how to condemn terror attacks on other Arabs. When terror is carried out against Jews, however, it is the fault of the Jews.
In the most recent example, Mahmoud Abbas’ senior advisor, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, used the PA’s official news agency to publicize his fierce condemnation of the Islamist bombing of a mosque in Syria as a “cowardly, heinous act.”
However, when a Palestinian terrorist murdered two Israelis on the same day, Israel was “the one responsible for any action or violent reaction in the region,” according to Abbas’ advisor.
PA condemns terror attack in Syria
Supreme Shari’ah Judge of Palestine and [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas’] Advisor on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud Al-Habbash offered condolences to Syrian Minister of Endowments Mohammed Abu Al-Khair Shukri over the victims of the heinous terror bombing at the Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the city of Homs …
Al-Habbash strongly condemned this cowardly heinous act … He also emphasized that terror is directed against the entire [Islamic] nation and requires a united stance to confront it and dry up its sources.
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Dec. 27, 2025]
PA condemns Israel for Palestinian terror attack in Israel
Egyptian Al-Qahera News TV host:“What is the message that Israel needs to understand behind such operations, and this operation in particular [i.e., terrorist murdered 2 Israelis]?” …
Mahmoud Al-Habbash:“The first and last one responsible for incidents of this kind is the Israeli policy. ... The one responsible for any action or violent reaction [i.e., terror attack] in the region is the Israeli policy … They are the ones who are guilty and they are the ones who bear responsibility, and they must conduct a self-examination. [emphasis added]
[PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud Al-Habbash, YouTube channel, Dec. 26, 2025]
The official PA daily likewise refused to condemn the murderous terror attack by Palestinians.
An item about each attack was featured on the very same page of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida. The attack in Israel was framed as an “operation.” Responsibility was shifted almost immediately from the act of terror itself to Israel’s counter-terror action, with the headline emphasizing that “the occupation launches extensive aggression against Qabatiya,” from where the terrorist originated.
There was no condemnation, no expression of sympathy for the victims, and no rejection of violence, as there was with the attack in Syria. This is significant because Abbas has repeatedly told Western leaders that he condemns Palestinian terror and he has been praised for it.
In fact, his supposed condemnation of terror was one of the things for which he received praise from French President Macron. Palestinian Media Watch has stressed repeatedly that Abbas has never condemned Palestinian terror, nor the October 7 atrocities; rather, he has merely regretted their negative impact on Gaza.
Headline: “Two Israelis killed and 6 wounded between Beit Shean and Afula, the occupation launches extensive aggression against Qabatiya”
Two Israelis were killed and six wounded between Beit Shean and Afula in the northern 1948 territories [i.e., Israel] in a ramming and stabbing incident, according to the Israeli occupation police. Hebrew media outlets said that the dual operation in Beit Shean occurred in three locations, and that a woman was stabbed to death, another person was run over to death, and six others were wounded. The occupation police said in a statement that the one who carried out the operation is from the town of Qabatiya south of Jenin, and that he was shot and wounded and evacuated to the hospital in moderate condition.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 27, 2025]
In the report on the attack in Syria, however, the difference is striking. The PA presidential office issued a full, unequivocal condemnation of “the terror incident.” It stressed that it “denounces and rejects all forms of violence and terror,” quoted the Quran, expressed solidarity with Syria’s leadership and people, offered condolences to the victims’ families, and wished the wounded a speedy recovery.
Headline: “The [PA] presidential office condemns the terror incident in which a mosque was blown up in Homs”
The [PA] presidential office condemned the terror incident against the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi Al-Dhahab neighborhood in Homs, Syria, which claimed several victims and wounded. The presidential office emphasized that it denounces and rejects all forms of violence and terror. It expressed solidarity with the people and leadership of the sister Syrian Republic, and support for sister Syria in this painful event. It recalled the Quranic verse: “And who are more unjust than those who prevent the name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strive toward their destruction’” [Quran 2:114, Sahih International translation].
The presidential office expressed its sincerest condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded. It wished Syria and the Syrian people perpetual stability and prosperity.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 27, 2025]
When terror strikes anywhere in the Arab world other than Israel, the Palestinian Authority knows exactly how to respond. It uses the word terror. It condemns. It empathizes. It invokes moral and religious language. It stands with the victims. This is a far cry from what the PA does when the victims are Jews.
The Palestinian Authority’s claim that it opposes “all forms of violence and terror” is therefore a demonstrable lie. For the PA, terror is only terror when the victims are not Jews.
Ephraim D. Tepler is a contributor to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW). Itamar Marcus is the Founder and Director of PMW, where a version of this article first appeared.
Uncategorized
Netanyahu: ‘Our Forces Are Striking the Heart of Tehran With Increasing Strength’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participates in the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of the Iron Swords War on Mount Herzl, in Jerusalem, Oct. 16, 2025. Photo: Alex Kolomoisky/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces had “eliminated the dictator Ali Khamenei” along with dozens of senior officials of Iran’s regime during a statement delivered from the roof of the Kirya, Israel’s defense headquarters.
“Yesterday, we eliminated the dictator Khamenei. Along with him, dozens of senior officials from the oppressive regime were eliminated,” Netanyahu said after a meeting with the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff, and the Director of Mossad. He added that he had issued instructions to continue the offensive.
According to Netanyahu, Israeli forces are “now striking at the heart of Tehran with increasing intensity,” a campaign he said will “increase further in the days to come.”
The Prime Minister also acknowledged the toll of the conflict on Israel, calling recent days “painful” and offering condolences to the families of victims in Tel Aviv and Beit Shemesh, while wishing a speedy recovery to those injured.
Netanyahu emphasized that the operation mobilizes “the full power of the Israel Defense Forces, like never before,” in order to “guarantee our existence and our future.” He also highlighted US support, noting “the assistance of my friend, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and of the American military.”
“This combination of forces allows us to do what I have hoped to accomplish for 40 years: strike the terrorist regime right in the face,” Netanyahu concluded. “I promised it — and we will keep our word.”
Uncategorized
Trump Says Iran Military Operations Are ‘Ahead of Schedule,’ CNBC Reports
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during military operations in Iran, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. February 28, 2026. The White House/Social Media/Handout via REUTERS
US President Donald Trump told CNBC on Sunday that US military operations against Iran are “ahead of schedule.”
Uncategorized
Iranian Missile Strike on Beit Shemesh in Israel Kills 9
Emergency personnel work at the site of an Iranian strike, after Iran launched missile barrages following attacks by the US and Israel on Saturday, in Beit Shemesh, Israel, March 1, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
An Iranian missile strike hit the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh on Sunday, killing nine people and wounding dozens, in what authorities described as a direct impact on a public bomb shelter.
A ballistic missile leveled the bomb shelter, leaving a large crater in its wake. Most, if not all, of those killed had been taking cover inside the shelter when it hit, Jerusalem Police Deputy Commissioner Avshalom Peled said at the impact scene.
Those in critical condition were airlifted to Shaare Zedek Medical Center, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
At least 20 people were still missing late on Sunday afternoon local time.
As you read this, an Iranian missile has just struck a residential neighborhood in Beit Shemesh, Israel, only 30 kilometers/about 18 miles from Jerusalem.
Nine people are dead.
More than 20 are wounded, including children. A
public shelter collapsed from the direct hit. An… pic.twitter.com/mEVDlPEqgf
— Ella Kenan (@EllaTravelsLove) March 1, 2026
Several buildings surrounding the shelter in Beit Shemesh, which is west of Jerusalem, were also damaged in the attack, with two collapsing entirely. A synagogue was also destroyed.
Emergency crews from Magen David Adom, ZAKA, and United Hatzalah joined fire and rescue units at the site, combing damaged buildings and debris for possible survivors. Many people were trapped under rubble or inside apartments, first responders said.
The Iranian Regime directly fired missiles toward the civilian neighborhood of Beit Shemesh, killing innocent civilians.
The Iranian regime purposely targets civilian targets while we precisely target terror targets. This is who we’re operating against—a regime who uses… pic.twitter.com/9W8Fp4T2tH
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 1, 2026
Chaim Wingarten, deputy director of operations at rescue organization ZAKA, described the scenes as “very difficult.”
“When I arrived, it was a huge chaos, with wounded people everywhere,” he said.
The strike was part of a larger volley that triggered air-raid sirens across the country. A man in his fifties was wounded by shrapnel elsewhere in central Israel.
IDF foreign media spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani charged Iran with deliberately firing at civilians. “We know this is their strategy,” he said, adding that Israel would do “everything in our power to remove these capabilities from this bloodthirsty terrorist regime.”
The Beit Shemesh hit marked the highest single-incident death toll inside Israel since the confrontation with Iran began a day earlier. The previous peak came during the 12-day war in June 2025, when a missile slammed into an apartment block in Bat Yam and killed nine people.
The Beit Shemesh strike came a day after US and Israeli forces struck a compound in Tehran killing senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose death was later announced on Iranian state television.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump said 48 Iranian leaders were killed in the strikes. “Nobody can believe the success we’re having; 48 leaders are gone in one shot. And it’s moving along rapidly,” he said.
Separately, the American president told CNBC that the US operation was “ahead of schedule.”
Thousands of Iranians braved the strikes and took to the streets to celebrate Khamenei’s death on Saturday evening. Many people stood on balconies and at windows chanting “freedom, freedom,” The New York Times reported. People in the Iranian city of Shiraz were “abandoning their cars for an impromptu dance party, whistling, cheering, clapping, and screaming with joy. In many videos, celebrants joined together in a cheer that is typically reserved for weddings, symbolizing pure joy,” the report said.
GeoConfirmed Iran.
People chanting – Celebrations through the Foolad Shahr area in Isfahan with joy and jubilation over the killing of Khamenei.
Rough location – 32.48169, 51.39167
F9JR+MMF Fuladshahr, Isfahan Province, IranGeoLocated by @Mitch_Ulrich
Geolocation:… https://t.co/iv9TlSPPfS
— GeoConfirmed (@GeoConfirmed) February 28, 2026
Can you hear the joy in his voice?
“I am dreaming, hello world!” pic.twitter.com/ICq77zBerv— William Mehrvarz (@WilliamMehrvarz) March 1, 2026
Iran retaliated by firing repeated waves of missiles and drones, with launches aimed not only at Israel but also at US bases in the Middle East, including Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Iran on Sunday morning also launched two missiles at Cyprus, where thousands of British military personnel are stationed, which fell short.
Later in the afternoon, the US acknowledged its first losses with US Central Command, saying three American service members were killed and five were seriously wounded during the operations in Iran.