President’s hero as terrorist: Tale of 2 societies

The president of a normal, civilized country naturally is anxious to distance himself from any suspicion of ever having had a connection to a terrorist. That’s how President Barack Obama reacted when the Bill Ayers controversy erupted. But the recent decision by the Palestinian Authority’s president to give awards to three Arab terrorists reminded us that some governments are neither normal nor civilized.

Ayers, co-founder of the 1960s Weather Underground terrorist group, was involved in planting bombs at New York City police headquarters, the United States Capitol building, and the Pentagon from 1970 to 1972. It was just by pure chance that nobody was injured in those attacks, which caused extensive damage.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, journalists revealed that Ayers had hosted, in his home, the first-ever fundraiser for Obama, then a candidate for the Illinois state senate.

Obama quickly distanced himself from Ayers, whom he described as “just some guy in our neighborhood.” Ayers subsequently said that he never had any contact with Obama, either during the campaign or after his election as president.

Whatever the details of the Ayers-Obama connection, candidate Obama wanted to make it crystal clear that he had no admiration for Ayers’s views or deeds, and did not want to be associated with a terrorist in any way. In American society, terrorism is regarded as evil and a connection with a terrorist spells the end of any politician’s career.

Not so in Palestinian society. There even the most heinous terrorists are considered heroes, and the president rushes to heap honors upon the killers and their families.

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas celebrated “Palestinian Prisoners Day” on April 17 by bestowing medals upon three notorious terrorists — the first female and male Fatah terrorists jailed by Israel, and the first Fatah terrorist killed while trying to murder Israelis. Abbas is also chairman of Fatah, which is the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization.