Abbas
AbbasFlash 90

Chairman of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas last week held a reception at PA headquarters in Ramallah for Rajaei Haddad, a terrorist from eastern Jerusalem. Haddad was recently released from prison after serving a 20-year term for his 1998 conviction for complicity in the murder of an Israeli in Jerusalem’s Old City.

The MEMRI institute, which reported on the incident, said that Abbas congratulated Haddad, noting that "the prisoners' issue holds a special place in the priorities of the Palestinian leadership, that works to free all the prisoners from the occupation's prisons."

Other Fatah officials were also present at the meeting, according to MEMRI. Adnan Ghaith, head of Fatah Revolutionary Council's Jerusalem Committee, said: "The Fatah movement will remain faithful to our people's rights, and will support the steadfastness of the prisoners and their families, who for the sake of the homeland have sacrificed what is most precious to them."

The meeting, the report noted, is not the first time that Abbas has met with released terrorists. He has also met with terrorists who themselves carried out attacks, as well as with the families of terrorists killed while carrying out attacks.