A Palestinian university is reportedly honoring the family of the Hamas terrorist who plowed an automobile into a crowd of tourists in Jerusalem, killing a three-month-old baby girl and injuring seven others.
The attack occurred late last month, and both the baby, Chaya Zissel Braun, and her parents were American citizens, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Hamas didn’t just take credit for the hit–it bragged about it.
“This is a natural response to the crimes of the occupation and invasion of our land by the Jews,” Hamas spokesman Hossam Badran said, as the Post reported.
On Saturday evening, the Israeli News Feed, which describes itself as a “Leader in breaking & exclusive news from Israel & surroundings,” tweeted:
SICKENING: Palestinian university honors family members of terrorist who killed 3 month old baby in Jerusalem attack. pic.twitter.com/dZGaYtTMjQ
— Israel News Feed (@IsraelHatzolah) November 16, 2014
I can only imagine that in the eyes of Hamas, the terrorist scored double credit: the baby was both Jewish and American.
No updates or further details have been forthcoming.
The United States currently subsidizes the Palestinian Authority “to the tune of approximately $400 million per year,” Fox News reported, and at least some of those funds are used to finance Hamas terrorist activities, according to Israeli officials.
In June, following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens, Congressional leaders called upon the administration to turn off the spigot of funds to the Palestinian Authority.
“I call for all aid to the Palestinian Authority — every penny — to be cut off,” wrote Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in a National Review op-ed. “Not one more U.S. taxpayer dollar should flow to Hamas or to the Palestinian Authority as long as it is allied with Hamas.”
The administration’s response wasn’t long in coming, as al-Monitoir reported:
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that the administration believes the PA has “every desire and intent” to abide by its commitment to recognize Israel and forswear violence. She promised “close consultation” with Congress but made it clear that the administration intends to continue disbursing the $440 million in aid to the West Bank and Gaza requested in President Obama’s 2014 budget.
Perhaps it’s time for Psaki to have a talk with her boss on the issue of the PA’s “commitment to recognize Israel.” The Palestinian Authority has, from its beginning, refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, a fact that has been a source of frustration for Secretary of State John Kerry, according to The Telegraph.
