A brutal, cynical and systematic abuse of children, has been employed by Middle East terror regimes, in order to advance radical goals, while eroding the civilian and military steadfastness of their adversaries. Examining the foundations of such a practice, one uncovers the basic values of terrorists and their attitude toward peace in general and peaceful co existence with Israel in particular.
Anti-US Moslem Somali terrorists, headed by Col. Aideed, fired at US soldiers, sacrificing the under-aged and older innocent pedestrians as human shield (Mogadishu, 1993). President Clinton justly blamed the terrorists for the killing of children and other civilians during the crossfire. He insisted that the US soldiers had to shoot back – under horrific constraints imposed by the terrorists – in order to protect their lives. That which afflicted US soldiers in 1993 has plagued Israelis since 1948!
Arafat sacrificed thousands of Palestinian children, exploiting them as a human shield during his 1970 attempt to topple King Hussein of Jordan, during the 1975-76 and the 1978 PLO wars against Lebanese Christian and Moslem militias, during the 1982 Israel-PLO war in Lebanon and during the 1987-1992 Intifada. Arafat’s ally, Iran, dispatched its own children to the battlefield against Iraq during the 1980-1986 war, sacrificing over 100,000 children. Arafat’s personal friend and strategic ally (during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait!), Saddam Hussein, employed Iraqi and Western children and adults as a human shield during the 1991 Gulf War. Some of the PLO founding fathers participated in the early 1960s in Aden’s war against Britain, which featured the exploitation of children for the sake of political and military gains.
Palestinian children have been indoctrinated, by Arafat-controlled school textbooks, clergy and media, to become homicide bombers and to kill Jews “for the cause.” For example, Reader and Literary Texts for Arafat’s 8th graders teaches (pp.120-122 ) that “Jihad and sacrifice are a duty…draw your sword, let us gather for war with red blood and blazing fire….Death shall call and the sword shall be crazed for such slaughter….Oh Palestine, the youth shall redeem your land.”
Rather than urging Palestinian parents to keep their children away from the line of fire, Arafat has promised parents that children who would become “martyrs for the cause” would reach paradise. A special grant ($300 and $2,000 per injured and killed child respectively), in addition to a monthly allowance, are shared with such parents.
Regimes which provide their youth with guns, hand grenades, Molotov cocktails and rocks, transform them into lethal machines, and bear responsibility for their death. Regimes, which brainwash their youth with blind hatred, are terrorists. PLO leaders, who are horrifically exploit children of poor families, while dispatching their own children to overseas schools and business and diplomatic assignments, are cynical terrorists.
The last few months have exposed Arafat’s lack of credibility. His satanic values have been highlighted by his cynical abuse of children. They have also reflected PLO’s long term strategy and goal – the eradication of the Jewish State.
