Israel Matzav

State Department gets a clue, condemns 'Yihya Ayash Street'

In what can practically be called a flying pigs moment, State Department spokesman Phillip J. Crowley addressed the naming of Yihya Ayash Street in Ramallah. Well, sort of.

Speaking to reportes, State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley t addressed both the recently uncovered naming of a Ramallah street after the Hamas suicide bombings mastermind Yihyeh Ayyash, as well as to statements made by PA officials, condemning the refurbishing of an ancient synagogue in Jerusalem's Old City.

"We also strongly condemn the glorification of terrorists," Crowley said, adding that "honoring terrorists who have murdered innocent civilians, either by official statements or by the dedication of public places, hurts peace efforts and must end."

The State Department official also added that the U.S. would " continue to hold Palestinian leaders accountable for incitement."

Crowley also addressed comments made by PA officials in the wake of the rededication of the Hurva synagogue in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter.

Last month Palestinians rioted in Jerusalem as part of a "day of rage" declared by Hamas, also protesting the rededication of the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Fatah official Khatem Abd el-Kader, called Palestinians to "converge on al Aksa to save it" from "Israeli attempts to destroy the mosque and replace it with the [Jewish] temple," calling the synagogue's rededication a "provocation," adding that Israel is "playing with fire."

In his statement Thursday, Crowley said that the U.S. was "disturbed by comments of Palestinian Authority officials regarding reconstruction and refurbishing of Jewish sites in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem's Old City."

The problem with that statement is that the 'Palestinians' don't consider Ayash a terrorist. Note also that there's nothing that says the US condemns the 'Palestinian Authority' for naming the street after Ayash. It sort of just happened. As to holding 'Palestinian' leaders 'accountable' for incitement, that's like we're holding Iran accountable for their nuclear weapons development. It's not happening. It's a meaningless phrase. As to the Churva, they're 'disturbed' at the comments of 'Palestinian Authority officials,' as if those officials were acting on their own. And what does 'disturbed' mean anyway? Someone woke Crowley up from his afternoon nap? Why don't they condemn those remarks by persons speaking on behalf of the 'Palestinian Authority'?

Meanwhile, Israel's UN delegation is seeking UN action censuring the 'Palestinians.'

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations demanded on Thursday that the world body sharply censure the Palestinian Authority's intent to name a street for Hamas terrorist Yachya Ayash, whose nickname was "The Engineer". Ayash is believed to be behind suicide bombings that caused the deaths of about 90 Israelis before the Shin Bet Israel security agency killed him with a booby-trapped cell phone in 1996

In a letter to the UN's Secretary for political matters, Professor Gabriella Shalev wrote that the PA had committed itself to refrain from any sort of incitement against Israel. That would include glorifying a terrorist.

Good luck with that.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:00 PM