by Achikam Himmelfarb, translated by Hillel Fendel
The original role of the Palestinian Authority, as defined in the Oslo Accords, was to act as a Palestinian government dealing with various civil matters in Areas A (under full PA control) and B (under Israeli military control) in Judea and Samaria.
It now appears, however, that the PA has taken upon itself an additional task: the continuation of the "struggle" against the Zionist "occupier." In their official speeches geared towards the international audience, especially in English, the PA leaders make sure to declare that their national aspirations are for a state only "within the 1967 borders." This can be understood to mean "only in Judea, Samaria and Gaza" which Israel liberated in its defensive Six Day War. However, the PA's laws, education system, speeches to its populace, and media incitement all prove that their actual aspiration is the entire Land of Israel, what they call "historic Palestine."
The PA bodies and leaders refer to the entire 1948 area – i.e., from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean, most of which happens to be today's State of Israel – as "Palestine." Consequently, the PA seeks to enlist into its ideological ranks the Israeli-Arab populace, what it calls the "inside Arabs."
In the national perception of the residents of the Palestinian Authority, the Arabs of Israel are Palestinians just like them, who are also expected to fight against the Zionists and the occupation just like them. The PA operates in various ways to strengthen this Palestinian identity of the Israeli-Arabs. Let us discuss three of them here:
Let us begin with the PA institutes of higher learning. It has been well-known for years that the universities in the PA are centers for locating and recruiting terrorism activists. The youth movements (Shabiba) of the various terrorist orgs are very active there finding activists and disseminating propaganda. It is thus quite worrisome to Israel to see how many Israeli-Arab students turn to PA institutions. Research conducted by Lt.-Col. (res.) Avi Shalev in 2022 showed that the number of Israelis in PA universities is estimated at a whopping 13,000.
International Law expert Adv. Maurice Hirsch, Director of Legal Strategies at Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) and a researcher for the Bit'chonistim movement, explains that the PA "attributes great importance to the 'Palestinization' of young Israeli Arabs. The PA correctly identifies the period of academic studies – a formative period for older adolescents – as a perfect opportunity to influence their self-identity. If they study in Israeli colleges, they would likely find themselves integrating into Israeli society. But if they learn in PA institutions, they can be swathed with Palestinian ethos, narrative, and propaganda. The PA thus seeks to detach them from their Israeli-ness and strengthen their Palestinian leanings."
The PA also works to attract Arab-Israelis to engage in terrorist activities, or at least, terrorism-facilitating activities. The best examples are Karim and Maher Yunis, the most vetera Palestinian terrorist prisoners in Israel. The two cousins, despite their Israeli citizenship, have been considered national Palestinian symbols ever since 1980, when they abducted IDF solder Avraham Bromberg at the Hadera junction and murdered him. They were originally sentenced to execution, but their sentence was commuted to life imprisonment with no chance for parole. But in 2012, then-President Shimon Peres further commuted their sentences, and they were freed earlier this year.
The Yunis cousins' solidarity with Fatah, and their status as longest-serving terrorist prisoners, made them into PA national icons. Karim was even appointed a member of the Fatah Central Committee. After his release from prison, he returned to his hometown of Ar'ara, between Hadera and Um el-Fahm, where a nationalist mini-festival was held to celebrate his release – despite orders given by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to prevent this. Top PA figures took part in the festivities, including Chairman Abu Mazen's deputy, to show their veneration for the murderers.
Abu Mazen himself spoke personally by phone with the cousins upon their release. The call was electronically captured by PMW, and its translation appears here [on the PMW website] for the first time. Abu Mazen is heard gushing with praise: "We are proud of you [plural] and we say to you that Allah should grant you health. You are the beacon of light of this nation, you are symbols of the Palestinian nation, you Maher and also you Karim... Your 40 years [in prison] were glory for all Palestine."
One of them responded, "First of all, I want to bless you and your wonderful words… May Allah show us the entire liberated land." Abu Mazen said, "Inshallah [if Allah wills it], our meeting on the homeland is close, and we will liberate the land together."
The Yunis cousins did quite well financially while in prison, as is the case with other Palestinian terrorists. Each of the two cousins received from the PA a total of some 4 million shekels (roughly over $1.1 million) over the 40 years, as well as another $25,000 as a one-time grant. They will also be receiving 12,000 shekels each month for the rest of their lives. Israel's Defense Ministry has taken some steps to confiscate money and property that would otherwise be used for these "pay to slay" salaries. However, the fact that Israeli-Arab terrorists who commit murders are paid to murder, in keeping with their status as Palestinian heroes, was an important part of why the Knesset recently passed a law withdrawing their Israeli citizenship and expelling them to PA areas.
Thirdly, the Palestinian Authority seeks to influence Israeli-Arabs via its Musawa TV channel, whose target audience is the Arabs of the "Occupied Interior." The channel originally broadcast from Nazareth, an Israeli-Arab city in the lower Galilee. In 2016, then- Interior Minister Gilad Erdan ordered it closed, as it was operating on behalf of the Palestinian Authority with no Israeli permit. The station then moved to Ramallah, in Area A, with no Israeli control at all. The content is designed for the Arab-Israeli public, narrated and produced by Arabs of both the PA and of Israel.
Not surprisingly, the Musawa channel took part in the festivities marking the Yunis cousins' release. Here, for the first time, are excerpts translated by PMW into Hebrew from that broadcast. The female announcer is heard saying: "The greatest time in anticipation of freedom that the world has ever known! Karim Yunis is breathing freedom after 40 years that the symbol of this great struggle was a prisoner of the Israeli occupier's jails. This occupation that still pursues the Palestinian identity, represented today by Karim Yunis. For our nation has proven that it objects to all the plans of the racist right-wing and fascism. Karim Yunis has proudly defeated the jailer!"
We must pay great attention. This complex situation, in which parts of the Arab population identify with a narrative that is hostile to Zionism and is influenced by PA efforts to "settle in their hearts," is something that the Israeli security and political frameworks must be on top of. It is a priority security interest of the State of Israel to ensure that the young Arabs are kept away from incitement of the Palestinian Authority and are integrated into Israeli society. The spreading of the PA's ideology must be stopped, so that Israel will not find itself with a fifth column in its midst, wherein a large part of its population not only identifies with its enemies, but is actually activated by them and in their name.
The author is a Middle East expert studying in Bar Ilan University and a researcher on the part of PMW and the Bit'chonistim Movement.