Spontaneous mass expressions of joy broke out yesterday afternoon in various cities under the control of the Palestinian Authority when the news of the Jerusalem slaughter became known. In Jenin, home town of the dead terrorist, and elsewhere in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, hundreds of Arabs danced and sang in the streets, fired guns in the air and praised Hamas and the Islamic Jihad for killing the Jews. Islamists handed out candies and knafe (sweet cakes) to the crowds in a traditional symbolic reinforcement of their belief that there should be no sadness at the death of a “martyr.” The father of the perpetrator of the Jerusalem bombing told reporters today that he and his wife are proud of their son\'s action. An Islamic Jihad spokesman declared, “Even the animals in the fields are happy about this attack…” Elsewhere in the Arab world, particularly in Palestinian villages in Lebanon, there were similar spontaneous, joyful reactions to the murders.
PLO chief Yasser Arafat condemned the “killing of innocents” and called for an immediate cease-fire by both Israel and the Arabs. Arafat was quoted in recent weeks as instructing terrorists under his control to ignore what he says in public and to continue murdering Jews. Israel TV\'s expert on Arab Affairs Ehud Ya\'ari noted that following the June suicide attack, which claimed the lives of 21 Israeli teenagers in Tel Aviv, Arafat also issued a condemnation and a call for a cease-fire.
PLO chief Yasser Arafat condemned the “killing of innocents” and called for an immediate cease-fire by both Israel and the Arabs. Arafat was quoted in recent weeks as instructing terrorists under his control to ignore what he says in public and to continue murdering Jews. Israel TV\'s expert on Arab Affairs Ehud Ya\'ari noted that following the June suicide attack, which claimed the lives of 21 Israeli teenagers in Tel Aviv, Arafat also issued a condemnation and a call for a cease-fire.