Incitement and Culture of Peace Index – An overview from the Ministry of Strategic Affairs
8 February 2012
A stable Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement and the creation of a viable Palestinian state requires the cessation of Palestinian incitement against Israel and the cultivation of a culture of peace in its stead. The demand for a halt to incitement has been adopted by the international community and incorporated into nearly every framework for Israeli-Palestinian peace, from Oslo II to the Quartet’s Road Map to the Annapolis Agreement.
In order to address this challenge and encourage the PA to adopt policies conducive to the creation of a culture of peace, the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs developed, in coordination with other relevant bodies and organisations, the ‘Incitement and Culture of Peace Index’.
The Index tracks four dimensions of incitement:
a) Explicit incitement to violence and terror
b) Encouragement of an atmosphere of violence and terror
c) Incitement to hatred and demonisation
d) Education for peace or for the continuation of conflict
The scores for each of the first two dimensions make up 30% of the overall weighted index score, while those of the latter two each make up 20%. In each of these four dimensions, incitement or ‘culture of peace’ development is measured according to eight categories.
a) Chair of the Palestinian Authority (currently Mahmoud Abbas)
b) PA and Fatah officials
c) Media- PA-controlled newspapers, television and radio
d) Education- PA textbooks, formal and semi-formal educational systems
e) Basic documents of the PLO, Fatah or the PA
f) Religious messages- conveyed by PA-affiliated religious authorities or outlets
g) Internet- PA and Fatah-affiliated internet sites and social media platforms
h) Culture/ Other- PA-sponsored cultural events, other relevant examples
The categories are accorded different weights across the different dimensions, based on their relative importance in each (for example, Education and Culture are given greater weight in measuring the dimension ‘Education for peace or the continuation of conflict’ than they are in measuring ‘Explicit incitement to violence and terror’.)
The Index is prepared on a quarterly basis by the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, in coordination with relevant governmental and non-governmental bodies. The index covers only the Palestinian Authority and does not relate to the de facto Hamas government in Gaza.
As of January 2012, indexes have been prepared for nine quarters. The values for each of the four dimensions, and for the overall index, have remained relatively consistent across all nine. The indexes have consistently shown lower levels of explicit incitement (with some notable exceptions) and higher levels of encouragement of an atmosphere of violence and terror, incitement for hatred and demonisation, and non-education for peace. External events including developments in the political-diplomatic sphere have a limited impact on the overall degree of incitement.
The relative consistency across the different time periods despite external developments suggests that Palestinian incitement reflects the core components of the Palestinian narrative: the denial of any connection between the Jewish People and the Land of Israel, and a commitment to achieving the Palestinian national goals via a protracted struggle. The continuing indoctrination is meant to reinforce these components as the psychological infrastructure of Palestinian national identity.
Relative weight attributed to the four dimensions of the index
Example of graph illustrating levels of incitement across eight categories in one of the four dimensions of incitement measured by the index
Results over the first eight quarters for each of the four dimensions
Incitement in the PA- Recent Examples
- Encouraging an atmosphere of violence and glorifying terrorists
a) Abbas’ speech in honor of the Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, as broadcast on official PA TV (18 October 2011)
“We thank Allah that [you have returned] in peace…after the enforced absence which was imposed on you because you are people of struggle and Jihad fighters for Allah and the homeland…We were concerned only for our prisoner brothers and sisters, and we now see some of the most prominent among them. In the future, Allah willing, in the very near future, we will see here our brother Marwan Barghouti and our brother Ahmad Sa’adat, to whom we wish a speedy recovery. And we want to see, Allah willing, Ibrahim Hamed also, and Abbas Al-Sayed, and every male and female prisoner, returning, released, to the homeland….”
Note: Marwan Barghouti - serving five life sentences for orchestrating suicide terror attacks against Israeli civilians.
Ahmad Sa’adat - serving 30 years in prison for heading the terrorist organisation PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine). Also suspected of planning the murder of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze‘evi in 2001.
Ibrahim Hamed – Hamas military leader who orchestrated many suicide attacks and bombings. Planned the Hebrew University, Cafe Moment and Cafe Hillel suicide bombings, among others.
Abbas Al-Sayid - sentenced to 35 life sentences for planning numerous suicide bombings including the ‘Passover Massacre’ at the Park Hotel in which 30 Israelis were murdered.
b) On 2 December 2011, Abbas, on a visit to Turkey, met with the released terrorist Amna Muna, who gained notoriety for involvement in the kidnapping and murder of a 16-year old Israeli boy. In January 2001 Muna lured Israeli teenager Ofir Rahum into meeting her in Jerusalem and then drove him to an area near Ramallah, where her co-conspirators shot him 15 times.
Amna Muna and Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting in Turkey
c) Top PA religious leaders calls for the killing of Jews quoting Islamic Hadith (9 January 2012)
Transcript- Moderator at Fatah ceremony: “Our war with the descendants of the apes and pigs (i.e., Jews) is a war of religion and faith. Long Live Fatah!
Mufti of the PA, Muhammad Hussein takes the podium:
“47 years ago the [Fatah] revolution started. Which revolution? The modern revolution of the Palestinian people’s history…The reliable Hadith (tradition attributed to Muhammad) says:
‘The Hour [of Resurrection] will not come until you fight the Jews.
The Jew will hide behind stones or trees.
Then the stones or trees will call:
‘Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.’”
d) PA TV programme ‘In a Fighter’s Home’ visits the home of Abbas Al-Sayid, mastermind of the ‘Passover Massacre’ at the Park Hotel in Netanya in which 30 Israelis were murdered, as well as other terror attacks (broadcast 25 October 2011)
Transcript- PA TV host: “We are outside the home of the patient, heroic fighter who is resolute, vanquishing his chains, desiring freedom – Abbas Al-Sayid, the lion of the prison cells”
The TV host, seated in Al-Sayid’s home in between two released female prisoners, Du’a Al-Jayousi and Nasrin Abu Zeneh, asks them:
“[What is] your feeling now, in the home of Abbas Al-Sayid – the leader, hero, defeater of the enemies, defeater of the dungeons, and lion of interrogation?”
Du’a Al-Jayousi: ” ….He was an example and role model for us, we wanted very much to meet him.”
Abu Zeneh: “I am very happy to be in his home, the home of the great fighter. Everyone respects him…”
e) Video repeatedly broadcast on PA TV in honor of ‘Arafat day’ glorifies violence and weapons (11, 13, 16 November 2011)
Lyrics- “Engrave on the rifle butt the symbol of Fatah’s Al-Asifa unit
He [Arafat] taught the whole world how to revolt. Yasser – symbol of freedom
Oh Elder, I swear by your uniform and your keffiya
Mahmoud Abbas is on the same path when it comes to our state and identity
We fired the rifle, we faced the storm…
Here it is, oh rifle sight
The state is only a few meters away
Oh action-spring, receive and shoot [bullets] continuously
Change the magazine — there are hundreds…
Oh AK-47, make sounds of joy and salute the Elder (Arafat)”
f) Cultural Performance on PA TV glorifies armed struggle against Israel (3, 4, 10 October 2011)
Lyrics- “From my wounds, my weapon has emerged.
Oh, our revolution, my weapon has emerged.
There is no force in the world that can remove the weapon from my hand.
My weapon has emerged. My weapon has emerged.
This revolutionary people has sacrificed and offered in order to live in freedom!…
He who offers his blood doesn’t care if his blood flows upon the ground.
As the weapon of the revolution is in my hand, so my presence will be forced [upon Israel]..”
- Hate indoctrination and demonisation
a) During his speech from the Presidential Compound in Ramallah on 16 September 2011, PA Chair Abbas accused Israelis of “sending wild pigs to destroy our lands” and “training pigs to uproot our trees.”
b) PA and UNESCO-funded children’s magazine publishes essay presenting Hitler as a positive role model.
The PA and UNESCO-funded children’s magazine, Zayzafuna, in its February 2011 issue, published an essay in which a girl describes meeting four prominent figures who are presented as role models. The four figures are Adolf Hitler, the 9th century mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, the Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz; and the 12th century Muslim leader Saladin.
Excerpt from essay – “I turned to the next door; there Hitler awaited me. I said, ‘You’re the one who killed the Jews?’
He [Hitler] said: ‘Yes. I killed them so you would all know that they are a nation which spreads destruction all over the world. And what I ask of you is to be resilient and patient, concerning the suffering that Palestine is experiencing at their hands.’
I said [to Hitler]: ‘Thanks for the advice.’”
c) PA Deputy Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, Ziyad Abu Ein on official PA TV (6 October 2011): “Israel forgets that we are now in the 21st century and that the conditions of our Palestinian prisoners are worse than the Auschwitzes of the Nazis, where Jewish detainees were held.”
d) Official PA newspaper ‘Al-Hayat Al-Jadida’- Israeli prison guards imitate Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, (17 April 2011)
“‘Slow death’ [is] the Israeli system for exterminating prisoners… [There is] an entire system called ‘slow death,’ which the Israeli establishment uses against Palestinian prisoners… Since the Israeli prison guards attempt to imitate the German Nazis, who were the first to use prisoners as testing grounds, for testing the weapons and the deadly drugs which they developed. The Nazi German doctor, Josef Mengele, was the most famous among them.”
- Denial of Israel’s right to exist
a) Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki, on day of Mahmoud Abbas’ Speech at the UN General Assembly (23 September 2011)-
Transcript- Abbas Zaki: “When we say that the settlement should be based upon these [1967] borders, President Abbas understands, we understand, and everybody knows that the greater goal cannot be accomplished in one go. If Israel withdraws from Jerusalem, evacuates the 650,000 settlers, and dismantles the wall – what will become of Israel? It will come to an end …If we say that we want to wipe Israel out- c’mon, it’s too difficult. It’s not [acceptable] policy to say so. Don’t say these things to the world. Keep it to yourself.”
b) Video clip on PA TV denies Israel’s right to exist and demands that the Jews leave Israel (4, 7 May 2010)
Transcript- “I’m from Jaffa, I’m from Haifa, I’m from Acre, I’m from Nazareth…Where are you [Israelis] from? Where are you from?
Of course, you’re from Ukraine; of course, you’re from Germany, from Poland, from Russia, from Ethiopia…
Why have you stolen my homeland and taken my place? Please, I ask of you, return to your original homeland, so that I can return to my original homeland. This is my homeland; go back to your homeland!”
c) Songs repeatedly broadcast on PA TV describe Israeli cities as Palestinian
- I. “Jaffa, Acre, Haifa, and Nazareth are ours” (5, 8 January 2012)
Lyrics: “Jaffa, Acre, Haifa, and Nazareth are ours.
Muhammad, sing about the Galilee and the Golan.
Jaffa, Acre, Haifa and Nazareth are ours…
Ramle, Lod and Sakhnin are Palestinian…
From Safed to Al-Badhan (near Nablus) is Palestinian;
Tiberias and Ashkelon are Palestinian.“
- “I am returning to you, the purest land, oh land of the free…From Rafah to Rosh Hanikra our coast, and Beit Shean (Performance attended by Abbas and other PA officials. Shown numerous times on PA TV, including three times in October 2011)
Lyrics-“We commit and promise to stand behind you, oh Mahmoud Abbas, until Judgment Day…I am returning to you, oh land. From Rafah to Rosh Hanikra (northern Israel) our coast, and Beit Shean …From Haifa and Tantura to the Jordan valley. I am returning to you, the purest land, oh land of the free.