Terrorist Dalal Mughrabi Square in Ramallah
Terrorist Dalal Mughrabi Square in RamallahIsrael news photo: PMW

The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday canceled a ceremony to honor the terrorist who led the brutal 1978 Coastal Road massacre. It was not clear if this is a complete cancellation or a postponement due to the presence of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the area.

The ceremony, slated to take place on Thursday, was to celebrate the memory of Dalal Mughrabi, who led the worst terror attack in Israel's history, the 1978 Coastal Road massacre.

Mughrabi and several other terrorists landed on a northern Israeli beach from Lebanon, first shooting to death Gail Rubin, an American woman taking photos of wildlife. They then hijacked a tourist bus on the Tel Aviv-Haifa highway, shooting at passing cars and murdering 36 more civilians including 11 children. . They were finally stopped at a roadblock outside Tel Aviv, where, in a firefight with police, Mughrabi and the other terrorists were killed, thus earning for themselves the title of “martyrs” and national heroes in the PA.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had asked U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to condemn the Palestinian Authority's decision to honor the brutal murderer by naming a public square in her memory.

Netanyahu had also complained two months ago to the U.S. about the plans by the PA city of Ramallah to honor the terrorist by naming the square in her memory. Reportedly, the White House raised the issue with PA Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, but to little effect.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu raised the issue personally with Biden, asking him to intervene and try to stop the event. Failing that, he requested that the American vice president at least come out with a public condemnation of the decision, as even its timing, when Biden and Mitchell are pushing to start negotiations, is a public avowal of PA support for terror

There has been no public statement from Biden, but a PA source said the cancellation of the ceremony came from "official channels."