PLO campers in rows
PLO campers in rowsPhoto: Donia Al-Watan

One of the ways the Palestinian leadership turns terrorists into role models and heroes is by naming summer camps after them.

This summer, two camps were named in honor of recent terrorists.

In the Jerusalem area a summer camp was named, "the Martyr Baha Alyan Pioneers."

The camp was arranged, "under the supervision of the [PLO] Supreme Council for Sport and Youth Affairs," and, "in partnership with the Jerusalem Suburbs Education Directorate," which is under the PA Ministry of Education.

At the Alyan camp, the 11- to 17-year-old participants were to receive, "informational visits," by the PLO's Palestinian Political Guidance Authority and the PA Police, among others.

The fact that these official institutions agreed to send speakers to a camp named after a murderer, indicates that they endorse the practice of turning murderers into children's role models.

Baha Alyan and Bilal Ghanem were a pair of 22- and 23-year-old Palestinian terrorists who, on Oct. 13, 2015, boarded a bus in Jerusalem's Armon Hanatziv neighborhood with a gun and a knife. The two then attacked the passengers, killing Israelis Haviv Haim (78), Alon Govberg (51), and Richard Lakin (76). Three more Israelis were wounded.

Alyan was shot and killed by an Israeli security guard at the scene and Ghanem, a Hamas terrorist who served time in Israeli prison in 2013-2014, was wounded. Ghanem is serving 3 life sentences and an additional 60 years for these murderous acts.

PMW has also reported on a scouts' course named after murderer Alyan held by the Palestinian Scout Association and the glorification of the murderer by one of its instructors. .

Children from the Bethlehem district were able to join the, "Martyr Mamoun Al-Khatib Camp." The Al-Khatib Camp was also held, "under the auspices of the [PLO] Supreme Council for Youth and Sports," and the Deputy Secretary-General of its southern council, Najeh Al-Izza.

Al-Izza spoke at the opening event, and, "emphasized that the Supreme Council is focusing on the youth sector, as it is the foundation of the future and the hope of the present." He went on to explain that, "120 boys and girls will participate in the activities of the Martyr Mamoun Al-Khatib Camp."

Al-Khatib was a 16-year-old terrorist who tried to stab an Israeli civilian on Dec.1, 2015.

Palestinian Media Watch recently published a report documenting statements by senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub, glorifying terror and inciting to murder. Rajoub heads the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, which organized the summer camps. Rajoub is also the chairman of the Palestinian Scout Association. Likewise, events at Palestinian universities have honored Alyan.

Earlier this year, Fatah held a summer camp named after terrorist Muhammad Al-Shubaki, who stabbed and wounded an Israel soldier in November 2015. One of the camp activities was a play in which the children played, "Zionist jailers," executing Palestinian, "heroic prisoners."

The Supreme Council for Youth and Sports states on its website that it is, "an official government body subordinate to the PLO".