Maria Sanchez and Laila Ghannam
Maria Sanchez and Laila GhannamPalestinian Media Watch

Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) exposed on Wednesday to Philadelphia Councilwoman Maria Sanchez that Palestinian Authority (PA) Governor Laila Ghannam, who Sanchez awarded with the Liberty Bell and "Citation of Honor" last month, has a long history of glorifying murderous terrorists and vowing to continue their "path."

In response to the abundant information gathered by PMW of her blatant statements supporting the murder of Jews over the years, Sanchez issued a statement saying "I fully and unequivocally denounce the sentiments attributed to Governor Ghannam in this video."

Clarifying, her office said "the use of the word 'attributed' was simply because the Councilwoman can only read these statements in PalWatch's (PMW's) translation, as she doesn't speak Arabic. Her condemnation of the content, as translated, is unequivocal."

"We will look into whether it is possible to withdraw a citation," added Sanchez's office. The councilwoman has been in her post for the 7th District on the Philadelphia City Council since 2008.

Sanchez explained in her response to PMW that she met Ghannam at an event, and that Ghannam's "work was described to me as humanitarian in nature and centered on furthering the rights of women and girls. My office honored her for these reasons."

"As an elected official who represents a significant Muslim-American population, including many Palestinian refugee families, I know my Muslim constituents to be good citizens and contributors to their communities," stated Sanchez. "I am committed to open, honest and productive dialogue with all who share the goal of peace."

Ghannam left no doubt that the goal of peace was not shared by her in the numerous statements revealed by PMW, in which she honored a near countless number of terrorists.

Just one example is seen in the following video translated by PMW.

In the video she says "we promise and swear to these mighty ones: we are still (following) your path," going on to rattle off a list of senior terrorists from Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PSF).

Her list included "the president and icon, Martyr Yasser Arafat, Dr. George Habash (PFLP founder), comrade Abu Ali Mustafa (head of PFLP), Sheikh Ahmed Yassin (Hamas founder), Fathi Shaqaqi (Islamic Jihad founder), Samir Ghosheh (Sec.-Gen. of PSF), Abu Jihad (a founder of Fatah) and all the great leaders."

Yassin alone was responsible for the murder of hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings targeting buses and cafes.

In another video last February, Ghannam honored the terrorist Ayyat Al-Akhras who murdered two Israelis in a suicide bombing near a Jerusalem supermarket in 2002.

At a ceremony with other PA officials marking the return of Al-Akhras's and other terrorists' bodies, she called them "brave heroes," and "martyrs who sacrificed their pure blood so we will live in freedom...Allah willing, we will remain committed to their promise and make tombs that will befit their stature." Other statements made by her over the years praised numerous other terrorists.