Our Impact

On his website, [PMW Director Itamar] Marcus documents the glorification of Mughrabi and other martyrs in the official Palestinian media. He says it reflects the kind of values that permeate Palestinian society. These values of glorifying terror and terrorists are often out of sight of much of the Western media and not visible at photo ops with Palestinian leaders and visiting dignitaries like Vice President Biden. But this kind of glorification of terrorists in Palestinian society helps indoctrinate one more generation of Palestinians into terror. Marcus – who has studied this kind of incitement for more than a decade – believes genuine peace will come when Palestinian society goes through a detoxification of values that glorify terror and terrorists.

The story was in the best tradition of the fallacy about one man's terrorist being another's "freedom fighter." The Times headline reflected this moral ambivalence: "Palestinians Honor Figure Reviled in Israel as a Terrorist." For Palestinians quoted in the piece, including Fatah officials, Mughrabi was a heroine who was "every Palestinian girl," rather than a heartless killer who helped mow down 38 human beings, including 13 children, before being killed herself by Israeli forces. As for this being an isolated incident, as Palestinian Media Watch has reported, the drumbeat of incitement against Israel and the glorification of violence against Jews is unceasing. Indeed, as even the Times notes, "the Palestinians also named two girls' high schools, a computer center, a soccer championship and two summer camps for Ms. Mughrabi in the last two years."

Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli monitoring group that highlights examples of anti-Israel incitement by Palestinians, has been tracking the plans to name the square for months. The group says that the Palestinians also named two girls high schools, a computer center, a soccer championship and two summer camps for Ms. Mughrabi in the last two years.

""One of the biggest problems is the incitement, and how it creates heroes and role models for kids. The naming of the square is a clear message that whoever kills most Israelis is the greatest hero," Marcus said. Marcus said his organization has been in contact with Kuperwasser, the director-general of the Strategic Affairs Ministry, and discussed creating an index that would quantify the incitement."

"In the days leading up to PMW Director Itamar Marcus' speech at an American university, posters advertising his speech were defaced."

PMW continuously presents its findings to audiences around the world and in Israel. See some of the upcoming PMW presentations: