Moshe Tamam's family
Moshe Tamam's familyYossi Tzur

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri ordered Morsi Abu Mouk, head of the Baka al-Garbiyeh Council, not to take part in the book launching event of the terrorist who murdered soldier Moshe Tamam.

The ceremony was supposed to take place on Thursday and was moved after Arutz Sheva queried the Interior Ministry regarding use of municipal institutions to glorify terrorists. Following Arutz Sheva's query, it was decided to instruct the council not to allow the event to take place at the local community center, and to prevent the council head from taking part.

Deri said that "the State of Israel will not give a platform to launch the writings of a terrorist in a public building belonging to the council. This a man who murdered an IDF soldier and is serving a life sentence. We have a duty to preserve the dignity of Moshe Tamam of blessed memory and not allow the terrorist to use the local council's facilities to launch his book."

Walid Daka, who was involved in the murder of soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984, used his long prison sentence to compose a book for children and youth.

A festive event to launch the book, "The Story of the Oil Secret", was scheduled to take place at the community center in the town of Baka al-Garbiyeh, the terrorist's residence.

Arutz Sheva approached the Interior Ministry with a question regarding the very existence of the event in a municipal institution. The Ministry said in response it would check whether the municipality was allowed to host an event to honor terrorists.

"The Interior Ministry District Commissioner is conducting an examination of the allegations and is also talking to the persons concerned. During next week after examining the facts, the Ministry's position will crystallize on the matter," the Interior Ministry said.

Leftist Dr. Anat Matar called on her Facebook friends to come to book launch written by the terrorist, and even noted that participating in the event would support the terrorist: "My dear friend, the prisoner Walid Daka, isn't wasting his time in prison," she said. "He reads and writes constantly," she said.

"Recently he wrote and published a children's/youth book, "The Story of the Oil Secret", and here is the invitation to the book launch in his village, Baka al-Gharbiya. Of course, participation in the event is in support of Walid. You are warmly invited," added Matar.

Shai Glick of the B'Tzalmo organization said in response: "This is complete madness. It makes no sense that a person in prison and defined as a security risk receives a public platform funded by the government to publicize his incitement.

"This is in addition to the glorification show telling the story of his life still being presented at the Al Midan Theater, which continues enjoying generous government funding. We demand that the Interior Minister prevent the event."

Baka al-Garbiyeh
Baka al-GarbiyehFlash 90

The Baka al-Garbiyeh municipality said in response to Arutz Sheva: "Baka al-Garbiyeh is known as a municipality that has championed and adopted as its motto the name 'City of Tolerance'. We do believe in a shared life, based on the values of equality and mutual respect between all segments of Israeli society.

"This is a cultural event initiated and called for by members of Walid Daka's family. The event is apparently going to take place in a private event hall, the speakers at the book launch event, Jews and Arabs, will be people such as Dr. Anat Matar, a lecturer at Tel Aviv University, and also journalist and researcher Ofra Yeshua Lait, attorney Omer Kamaisi, director of the Al-Mizan Human Rights Organization. Speakers are senior experts, professional, balanced, non-fanatical and non-extremist, and we're talking about a handful of people who preach peace and social equality," says the Municipality.

The Municipality also notes that the content of the book is important to them, not the writer. "It's important to note that we carefully read the book and its content, which is humane, lacking any hostility or hatred, and contains no illegal interest or motive.

"The prisoner Daka, who's been imprisoned and punished for 32 years - and we stress, before the signing of the Oslo Accords - no longer advocates armed struggle or any violent process; on the contrary, the new book advocates human values, and also criticizes a society directed at ignorance and illiteracy, and this is actually the message of Daka's children's book. Walid Daka of 32 years ago isn't the Daka of today. We're not in a posture of harming the other, whoever it may be, because it contradicts the values ​​we adopt in the Baka Municipality and is contrary to our tolerant, forgiving, and inclusive culture. It's important to note that if the book included statements of incitement or racism, the Municipality certainly wouldn't have permitted the existence of the event in question.

"Every healthy, sane, and constructive society works on social construction, fusing the rifts, cooperation between all sectors and communities, the entire assembly. Most importantly, in our view, is that society be based on reconciliation, mutual recognition, and acceptance of the other. We oppose any illegal action and strive for positive education for our children, at all ages, and from here we connect to the book's message, which amounts to the struggle against ignorance and the adoption of education and learning as values ​​of great importance," the Municipality said.