Israel complains to US about Palestinian ‘incitement’ in celebrating attacker’s birthday

Israel complains about Palestinian ‘incitement’

JERUSALEM — Israel has complained to the U.S. over what it called incitement to violence and glorification of militants by the Western-backed Palestinian government, a senior official said Thursday.

The official denounced the naming of a square in the West Bank city of Ramallah after Dalal Mughrabi, one of the hijackers of an Israeli bus in 1978, when 38 Israelis were killed. The Israeli official expressed “disappointment” that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas lent his name to the ceremony.

He said Israel brought up the issue with the White House and State Department.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contacts were not public, said such ceremonies amounted to incitement to violence by Palestinians.

Palestinian officials said Abbas was not involved in the square naming.

Adnan Dmairi of the Palestinian security forces that conducted the ceremony said Mughrabi was a Palestinian hero, pointing out that in 1978 there was no partial peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians and “civilians were killed on both sides.”

The U.S. has been trying to persuade Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace negotiations that broke off a year ago. Instead, the two sides have been arguing over construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and other issues, blaming each other for the stalemate.

The official also complained about visits by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to the families of three militants killed by Israeli forces in a raid in the city of Nablus last week. Israel said the three were behind a West Bank shooting attack that killed a rabbi. The Israeli objected to Fayyad’s calling them “martyrs.” Fayyad refused to comment.

Ron Dermer, an adviser to Israel’s prime minister, said, “We expect the Palestinian Authority to prepare the Palestinian people to live in peace with Israel and not to glorify killers.”

The Nablus raid drew harsh criticism from Abbas’ government, partly because the Palestinian Authority is supposed to be in charge in Nablus. Also, Palestinians said at least two of the three were unarmed when the Israelis opened fire.