Palestinian tradition of cheering death of Jews

Palestinians have a custom of celebrating in the streets Israel is attacked or a Jew is murdered by terrorists.

The latest such celebrations took place on Oct. 1, 2024, when Iran launched 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. The celebrations occurred even though some of the missiles fell in Palestinian areas; the only person killed was, ironically, a Palestinian man in the city of Jericho.

In one West Bank village, Palestinians erected a monument from the tail of an Iranian missile to celebrate Iran’s attack. Similar celebrations took place both in the West Bank and Gaza Strip when Iran launched its first direct missile and drone attack against Israel in April. According to a report by Iran’s Tehran Times:

It was also a sleepless night in Ramallah and other cities in the occupied West Bank, that saw excited crowds of Palestinians gathering in the streets and pointing to the skies amid the visible trails of Iranian missiles flying, with a celebratory mood until the early hours of Sunday morning.

The largest celebrations occurred on Oct. 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas terrorists and “ordinary” Palestinians invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip and murdered 1,200 Israelis. During the attack, thousands of Israelis were raped, tortured and burned alive, while 251 others were kidnapped into the Gaza Strip. A year later, 101 Israeli hostages are still being held by Hamas terrorists.

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A video from the Qatar-owned Al-Jazeera television network titled “Palestinians overjoyed with the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation” (the name Hamas uses to describe its Oct. 7 attack) showed celebrations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The Iranian-affiliated Lebanese TV station Mayadeen aired a report about Palestinian celebrations in the West Bank, where sweets were handed out in Nablus and guns were fired in Jenin “in jubilation.” A little girl can be seen waving a rifle and a handgun in the air.

Palestinian activist Omar Assaf praised the Hamas attack:

The resistance has proven today, once again, that the only option the people support is the option of resistance and confrontation, and proved, once again, that this occupation is weaker than a spider web, like [Hezbollah leader] Hassan Nasrallah said.

In 2004, thousands of Palestinians spilled onto the streets of the Gaza Strip to celebrate a twin suicide bombing in southern Israel that killed 16 people. The Palestinians celebrating, estimated to number about 20,000, threw sweets in the air and chanted slogans in support of Hamas, which took credit for the terrorist attack.

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The Palestinians are also happy to see Americans targeted by terrorists. While Israel declared a “national day of mourning” in solidarity with the United States after the 9/11 attacks, Palestinians celebrated by handing out sweets, firing guns in the air and chanting Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest).

The Palestinian Authority has since been celebrating the 9/11 attacks with cartoons glorifying Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden or mocking and attacking the United States.

The PA’s official media outlets made a concerted effort to bash the United States by rubbing salt in its most sensitive wounds, and by depicting America as evil, while appropriating Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims as the victims.

After the massacre and atrocities committed by Palestinians on Oct. 7, Fatah Revolutionary Council member Adnan Al-Damiri, repeated the accusation (Facebook, Dec. 20, 2023) that the US knew about the 9/11 attacks but wanted them to happen:

They [Israel] knew about this [Oct. 7 attack] and were silent because they wanted that what happened would happen, just as their teacher [America] did in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

It is hard to forget how the Palestinians also celebrated when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein fired Scud missiles at Israel more than 30 years ago.

Here is what the Washington Post wrote about the celebrations back then

As Iraqi missiles fell on Israel’s coastal plain Friday and Saturday, Palestinian residents here huddled in rooms sealed with masking tape and bleach-soaked cloths, in case the warheads contained deadly chemical agents. Still, when they heard the thud of explosions, they cheered for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. ‘We were happy. A little scared, maybe, but mainly happy,’ said May, a shopkeeper, during a two-hour break today in the military curfew imposed by occupying Israeli forces. Added Amer, a 15-year-old boy who stood nearby: ‘It’s wonderful that missiles hit Tel Aviv’.”

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Last month, PA.President Mahmoud Abbas, in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, ignored Hamas’ Oct. 7 attrocities and instead accused Israel of committing “massacres,” “crimes” and “genocide” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian leaders who do not have the courage, or are unwilling, to denounce terrorism will never be able to call on their people to recognize Israel’s right to exist, let alone make peace with it. Palestinians who celebrate the murder of their neighbors are not ready for a state, which would undoubtedly be used as a springboard to slaughter more Jews and to try to destroy Israel.

There is no excuse for celebrating murder. A society that celebrates murder will never be a partner for peace. True peace will only come when Palestinian leaders value their people’s lives more than celebrating the murder of Jews.

Bassam Tawil is a scholar based in the Middle East published by Gatestone Institute. To reach him, write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com