PA condemns terror attacks, fails to mention Tel Aviv shooting
Palestinian presidency issues carefully-worded statement, 'reaffirming its rejection of all operations that target civilians from any background regardless of the justifications.'
The Palestinian Authority issued a carefully-worded statement on Thursday condemning terror attacks against civilians, but failing to specifically mention the Tel Aviv shooting that claimed the lives of four Israelis.
The general statement from the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian presidency "reaffirms its rejection of all operations that target civilians from any background regardless of the justifications."
The statement went on to say that "Achieving a just peace and creating a positive climate is what (will) contribute to removing the causes of tension and violence in the region.
"Achieving peace requires everyone to stop taking any action that will increase tensions and resorting to violence," it concluded.
After a period of relative calm, two terrorists dressed in suits and ties and posed as customers at an upmarket restaurant in Tel Aviv's Sarona complex on Wednesday night before pulling out automatic weapons and opening fire, sending diners fleeing in panic.
Four Israelis—Ido Ben-Ari, 42, from Ramat Gan; Ilana Nave, 39, from Tel Aviv; Dr. Michael Feige, 58 from Ramat Gan; and Mila Mishayev, 32, from Rishon Lezion—were murdered and 16 others wounded.
Joint Arab List leader MK Ayman Odeh did refer to the Tel Aviv shooting itself when condemning "this horrific attack on civilians."
"My heart goes out to the families. Harming innocents is always condemned; there is no and there can be no justification for shooting civilians in the street," he said.
"The government is only intensifying hate and violence. All Israeli and Palestinian civilians should be removed from this circle of horror and blood. We must fight together in a just way to bring an end to the occupation, (and usher in an era) of justice and peace for the two peoples."
During the recent wave of violence, Israel's government has repeatedly criticized Palestinian factions for inciting attacks or not doing enough to quell them.
Hamas spokesman Hussam Badran called it "the first prophecy of Ramadan" and said the location of the attack, across the road from Israel's fortified Defense Ministry, "indicated the failure of all measures by the occupation" to end the uprising.
Islamic Jihad, another militant group, called the shooting a "natural response" to Israel's "brutal actions" against Palestinians. But it also did not claim responsibility for the attack.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the largest group in the Palestine Liberation Organization after Fatah, the Western-backed party of President Mahmoud Abbas, described the killings as "a natural response to field executions conducted by the Zionist occupation."
The group called it a challenge to far-right nationalist Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's newly appointed defense minister, who must decide how to respond to the violence, possibly with tighter security across the West Bank.
The United Nations' special coordinator for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, condemned the shootings and expressed alarm at the failure of Palestinian groups to speak out against the violence.
"All must reject violence and say no to terror," he said in a tersely worded statement. "I am shocked to see Hamas welcome the terror attack. Leaders must stand against violence and the incitement that fuels it, not condone it."
Reuters, AFP and AP contributed to this report.
