On October 29th, an Israeli citizen, Rabbi Yehuda Glick, was shot and severely wounded in Jerusalem by a Palestinian terrorist affiliated with Islamic Jihad, Mu’taz Ibrahim Khalil Hijazi. Mr. Hijazi was subsequently killed after opening fire on Israeli law enforcement authorities who had come to arrest him.

Appallingly, rather than condemn Mr. Hijazi’s act of attempted murder, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent a letter of condolence to his family, in which he referred to Israel’s law enforcement personnel as ‘terrorists’ and glorified Hijazi as a ‘martyr’ who, in carrying out this act of violence, was ‘defending the rights’ of the Palestinians.

Together with the generous financial support provided on an ongoing basis by the Palestinian Authority to the families of Palestinian terrorists, which is drawn from international donations, Abbas’s reaction to this terrorist act serves to encourage and incentivize further acts of violence against Israelis. As chilling proof of this, even as I write these words, another Palestinian terrorist has plowed into a group of Israelis as they waited at a Jerusalem light-rail station, killing at least one person and wounding ten. 

Abbas’s conduct turned the foundation of law and order and human rights on their head. In his letter, Abbas regards the victim of violence, Rabbi Glick, as a legitimate target, while the perpetrator of attempted murder, Mr. Hijazi, is hailed as a hero. In a particularly deplorable twist of logic, Mr. Abbas vilifies Israel’s law enforcement personnel, who like their counterparts around the world, are tasked with safeguarding the rule of law and the physical security of Israel’s citizens. 

Given the particular volatility of regional events and the heightened sensitivity currently surrounding the Temple Mount, this celebration by the Palestinian leader of an attack on an innocent Israeli civilian has severe consequences with regard to public safety. Palestinian militants interpret President Abbas’s encouragement of terrorism as a signal to heighten attack on Israelis. 

Tragically, such conduct by the Palestinian leadership has long served as a catalyst for acts of terrorism against Jews. The voice of the international community is therefore vital in order to underscore that glorification of terrorism is an unacceptable departure from civilized conduct.