On Wednesday's The Lead with Jake Tapper, CNN host Jake Tapper devoted attention to Palestinian incitement of violence against Israelis in a way rarely seen in the dominant media as he pressed PLO official Maen Rashid Areikat about recent stabbing attacks against Jews.
After beginning the segment by recounting criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for asserting that a former Palestinian Muslim leader, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, had a role in convincing Adolf Hitler to exterminate the Jewish people, Tapper introduced Areikat and asked for his reaction to the Prime Minister's statement.
After the PLO official accused Netanyahu of "lying" and of "incitement" against Palestinians, Tapper followed up by quoting some of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's incendiary rhetoric which occurred before the recent spate of Palestinians attacking Jews began. Tapper began:
Let's talk about some of the other accusations of incitement against Palestinian leaders because, as you know, Netanyahu is accusing Palestinian leaders of doing the same thing. Last month, for instance, in a televised address, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said, quote, "We salute every drop of blood shed for Jerusalem. It is clean blood, pure blood, it is blood shed for the sake of God. By the grace of God, those killed [martyrs] will be granted entrance to heaven, and those injured will receive good deed [from God]."
The CNN host added:
And after that, numerous Palestinians began stabbing Israeli civilians in Jerusalem. Isn't Abbas guilty of incitement as well?
After Areikat denied a link between Abbas's statement and the violent attacks, the PLO official moved to complain about how the Israeli government is handling the issue of access to the Temple Mount by Muslim and Jews, Tapper asked if the disagreements "justify" the attacks on Jewish civilians and pressed him on why President Abbas is not "condemning" the violence:
JAKE TAPPER: But do those provocations, in your view, justify the stabbing of civilians?
MAEN RASHID AREIKAT, PLO AMBASSADOR: No, no, no, no, listen, the Palestinian-
TAPPER: So why are Palestinian leaders not condemning this?
After Areikat claimed that the Palestinian Authority opposes violence and accused Israeli police officers of "executing" violent Palestinians instead of taking them prisoner, the CNN host followed up with a proven case of President Abbas falsely claiming a Palestinian teen was killed after attacking Israeli civilians. Tapper:
But isn't Abbas out there saying that two innocents -- Palestinian teenagers -- were murdered by Israel when there is actually videotape showing one of the Palestinian teens charging at Israeli police with a knife before being shot? And the other teen is alive. Isn't President Abbas out there saying that?
When Areikat tried to argue that an attacker with a knife does not deserve to be shot and killed by police, Tapper pushed back by debating him on what would happen if he attacked a police officer with a knife in the U.S.:
AREIKAT: This is the problem, okay, well, the Israelis are being the judge and the executioner at the same time. They had chances to apprehend the people after they shot them.
TAPPER: If you run at a cop with a knife in this country, you'll get shot.
AREIKAT: Yeah, but the policeman try to stop the attacker, they try to shoot to injure him, and if they injure the person, they arrest them and apprehend them. In the case of many Palestinians, they were executed on the spot. However-
TAPPER: If I have a knife and I run outside here and go at a cop with a knife, I'm going to get executed. That's how it works.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, October 21, The Lead with Jake Tapper on CNN:
JAKE TAPPER: Turning to another part of the Middle East where tensions continue to run high after days of bloodshed between Israel and the Palestinians, adding fuel to the fire today, claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claims that Hitler just wanted to expel Jews from Europe, but then a prominent Jerusalem leader in Jerusalem suggested the Hitler exterminate them instead.
The comments have drawn widespread condemnation not only from Palestinian leaders and Israelis including those in his own party, but from leading Israeli historians and advocates for survivors of the Holocaust. There is growing concern that Netanyahu's remarks will only throw flames on the fire. Joining me right now is Ambassador Maen Rashid Areikat,chief representative of the Palestinian Liberation Organization to the United States. Mr. Ambassador, thanks for being here. What is your reaction to Prime Minister Netanyahu's comments?
(AMBASSADOR MAEN RASHID AREIKAT, PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION accuses Prime Minister Netanyahu of lying about the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and of inciting against the Palestinians.)
TAPPER: Let's talk about some of the other accusations of incitement against Palestinian leaders because, as you know, Netanyahu is accusing Palestinian leaders of doing the same thing. Last month, for instance, in a televised address, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said, quote, "We salute every drop of blood shed for Jerusalem. It is clean blood, pure blood, it is blood shed for the sake of God. By the grace of God, those killed [martyrs] will be granted entrance to heaven, and those injured will receive good deed [from God]."
And after that, numerous Palestinians began stabbing Israeli civilians in Jerusalem. Isn't Abbas guilty of incitement as well?
AREIKAT: Well, there's no such relationship between the statement that President Abbas made last month and the violence that erupted after that.
TAPPER: How do you know that?
AREIKAT: Because, you know, what the President meant was that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is very sacred to Muslims all over the world and that it is a duty and a responsibility of Palestinians and Muslims to defend Al-Aqsa. Let me add here that despite all the denials by Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government that they are not trying to change the status quo, the provocations that have been going on in Al-Aqsa Mosque for the last year, his reneging on the understanding that he reached with King Abdullah of Jordan, with Secretary Kerry, to stop these provocations are a major proof
TAPPER: But do those provocations, in your view, justify the stabbing of civilians?
AREIKAT: No, no, no, no, listen, the Palestinian-
TAPPER: So why are Palestinian leaders not condemning this?
AREIKAT: The Palestinian leadership position on this is very clear. We want our people to resist the occupation peacefully, diplomatically, and legally. Let us not forget what is at issue here, Jake, I mean, people are taking the situation from October 1 until today in which 55 Palestinian have been shot and killed. Some of them were involved in attacks against Israelis -- I'm not denying that. However, you know, the number of Palestinians who were executed on the field after they were wounded is very large here. And the Palestinian leadership does not condone any kind of violence against any civilian. It is the Palestinian people that are paying the heavy price in this confrontation.
TAPPER: But isn't Abbas out there saying that two innocents -- Palestinian teenagers -- were murdered by Israel when there is actually videotape showing one of the Palestinian teens charging at Israeli police with a knife before being shot? And the other teen is alive. Isn't President Abbas out there saying that?
AREIKAT: Does this change the fact that one of them was shot and killed by the Israeli police?
TAPPER: But there's tape of him with a knife. (INAUDIBLE) with a knife.
AREIKAT: This is the problem, okay, well, the Israelis are being the judge and the executioner at the same time. They had chances to apprehend the people after they shot them.
TAPPER: If you run at a cop with a knife in this country, you'll get shot.
AREIKAT: Yeah, but the policeman try to stop the attacker, they try to shoot to injure him, and if they injure the person, they arrest them and apprehend them. In the case of many Palestinians, they were executed on the spot. However-
TAPPER: If I have a knife and I run outside here and go at a cop with a knife, I'm going to get executed. That's how it works.
AREIKAT: You know what the issue is here? Israeli victims, Israeli casualties are treated as human beings who lost their lives. Palestinians are treated here as numbers. Fifty-five Palestinians have been killed. You see letters signed by Congress talking about innocent Israeli civilians who were killed. They don't talk about the number of Palestinian civilians have died since the beginning of the year -- 81 of them.
TAPPER: We do on this show. I appreciate you being here. Thank you very much.
