Israeli Knesset Member Mohammed Barakeh called Israel a “terrorist state” while attending Prisoners’ Day activities in the PA-controlled city of Tul Karem on Tuesday. “Prisoners’ Day” is an annual event created by the Palestinian Authority to reinforce the demand by Arabs to release convicted terrorists from Israeli prisons.
The Chairman of the Israeli Communist Hadash party made his remarks while speaking at events honoring terrorist prisoners being held in Israeli jails.
In his speech, Barakeh expressed sympathy for the imprisoned Palestinian Authority terrorists saying, “All they did was fight for their freedom.”
The Arab Knesset member told the crowd that the terrorists, who have been jailed for suicide bombings and other murderous activities, have the right to be freed.
Barakeh charged that Israel is using the terrorists as hostages and called on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to release them as part of a package of “good-will gestures” to local Arabs if he wants to begin peace talks with neighboring countries.
Speaking at a similar event last year in Ramallah, the Israeli Arab legislator attacked the government in which he sits as having “escalated its blood-soaked violence to satisfy the Right.” He added that “This government also took unjustified and cruel steps in Jericho and arrested Palestinian fighters like Ahmed Sa’adat… all for election reasons.”
Sa’adat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization, masterminded the murder of 75-year-old Israeli Tourism Minister Rechavam Ze’evi in October 2001.
Elected to the PA government’s Palestinian Legislative Council despite being in prison, Sa’adat is on the list of 45 “arch terrorists” whose release was demanded by the PA government in exchange for the freedom of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit. The IDF soldier was kidnapped by the PA’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization in June 2006.
The Chairman of the Israeli Communist Hadash party made his remarks while speaking at events honoring terrorist prisoners being held in Israeli jails.
In his speech, Barakeh expressed sympathy for the imprisoned Palestinian Authority terrorists saying, “All they did was fight for their freedom.”
The Arab Knesset member told the crowd that the terrorists, who have been jailed for suicide bombings and other murderous activities, have the right to be freed.
Barakeh charged that Israel is using the terrorists as hostages and called on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to release them as part of a package of “good-will gestures” to local Arabs if he wants to begin peace talks with neighboring countries.
Speaking at a similar event last year in Ramallah, the Israeli Arab legislator attacked the government in which he sits as having “escalated its blood-soaked violence to satisfy the Right.” He added that “This government also took unjustified and cruel steps in Jericho and arrested Palestinian fighters like Ahmed Sa’adat… all for election reasons.”
Sa’adat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization, masterminded the murder of 75-year-old Israeli Tourism Minister Rechavam Ze’evi in October 2001.
Elected to the PA government’s Palestinian Legislative Council despite being in prison, Sa’adat is on the list of 45 “arch terrorists” whose release was demanded by the PA government in exchange for the freedom of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit. The IDF soldier was kidnapped by the PA’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization in June 2006.