EU-Funded Palestinian NGO Honors Terrorists of Israel

By Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Poem read by hosts of youth program on PA TV funded by the EU, the World Bank, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden

Two teenage hosts on the Palestinian Authority TV program for youth Speak Up, co-produced with the Palestinian NGO PYALARA, chose to read aloud a poem that glorified plane hijackings and threatened Israel and the United States:

The Poem

"People of Israel, don't get caught up in arrogance,
the hands of the clock will surely come round...
Expect us always, expect us where least expected.
We're in every airport, and in every ticket.
We emerge in Rome and in Zurich from under the rock...
Our men arrive without warning,
with the fury of thunder and the pounding of rain.
They come in the Prophet's robe and with Omar's sword (Muslim conqueror).
Remember, always remember that America, important as it is,
is not Allah the Almighty and Omnipotent,
and that America with all its strength will not stop the birds from flying.
A small rifle in the hand of a small boy can kill the big one."

The mention of Rome and Zurich in the poem is a threat referring to hijackings by PLO/PFLP terrorists. In July 1968, El Al Flight 426 from Rome was hijacked. In February 1969, terrorists attempted to hijack El Al Flight 432 before taking off from Zurich.

Thanks To EU-Funded NGOs

After reading the poem, the hosts sent greetings to NDC - the international organization that funds the NGO PYALARA, the co-producer of the TV program: "Today we greet the NGO Development Center - NDC that helps us discuss youth affairs."

Palestinian Media Watch reported earlier this year that this EU-funded NGO glorified 91 terrorists on the same TV program. During a report on an official PA military funeral for the 91 terrorists, the two young program hosts stated that "these [Martyrs] are more honored than all of us... They are the greatest role models for us." The terrorist "role models" included over ten suicide bombers.

Save The Children Money Supports Terrorists

When PMW reported on this, PYALARA's website listed several aid organizations as its donors, among them the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office, Save the Children UK and Cordaid.

Following PMW's disclosure, Save the Children UK said it would "investigate" the matter. A week later, PYALARA removed all the donors' logos from its website. Since neither the EU nor PYALARA made an official announcement, it is unclear if the funding was withdrawn or was continued without public acknowledgement.

Currently, PYALARA lists as "special sponsors" NDC - NGO Development Center and the Swedish Olof Palme International Center. NDC is financed by the European Union, a donor consortium of Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, the World Bank, the French government's Agence Française de Développement, the Islamic Development Bank, the United Palestinian Appeal, and the private Palestinian organization the Welfare Association. [NDC website, ndc.ps, accessed Dec. 20, 2012]

The youth organization PYALARA also glorified and honored terrorists earlier this year when the organization's other PA TV program "Jerusalem Scenes" visited the homes of three Palestinian terrorist prisoners serving multiple life sentences for planning suicide bombings that murdered many Israelis.

Chopping Up The Star Of David

In 2010, PMW reported that PYALARA published an ad showing an ax chopping into a Jewish Star of David. At the time, PYALARA was supported by UNICEF, whose logo was also on the hate ad. In response to the ad, UNICEF then promised to "carefully review any proposed future partnerships with PYALARA."

PMW has been documenting a recurring pattern. European countries, the UN and other well-intentioned donors fund programs that seem to be positive for Palestinian youth, only to withdraw their funding after PMW reports that these programs glorify terrorists or promote hatred. In this case, the EU may have withdrawn direct funding earlier this year due to PYALARA's terror glorification, only to find itself funding the program again through NDC.

The following is the transcript of the poem and statements read by the hosts on Speak UP, produced by PA TV and the European-funded PYALARA:

TV host 1: "People of Israel, don't get caught up in arrogance, the hands on the clock will surely come round. Theft of the land does not scare us... The long thirst does not scare us, for there is water still in the depths of the rocks. You defeated the armies, but you did not defeat the feelings. You cut off tree tops, but the roots remained."

TV host 2: "Expect us always, expect us where least expected. We're in every airport, and in every ticket. We emerge in Rome and in Zurich from under the rock."

Note: Reference to PLO/PFLP hijacking of an El Al plane in Rome in 1968 and the attempted hijacking of an El AL plane in Zurich in 1969.

"We emerge from behind statues and flowerpots. Our men arrive without warning, with the fury of thunder and the pounding of rain. They come in the Prophet's robe and with Omar's sword (Muslim conqueror). Remember, always remember that America, important as it is, is not Allah the Almighty and Omnipotent, and that America with all its strength will not stop the birds from flying. A small rifle in the hand of a small boy can kill the big one."

TV host 2: "Good evening, dear viewers, and welcome to our youth program Speak Up. Tonight you have greetings from the Palestinian Youth Association - PYALARA and from PA TV. Today we greet the NGO Development Center - NDC that helps us discuss youth affairs."

Note: PYALARA, the co-producer of this program, is funded by NDC. NDC's international donors include: the European Union, the World Bank, the French government's Agence Française de Développement, a donor consortium of Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, the Islamic Development Bank, the United Palestinian Appeal, and the Palestinian private organization the Welfare Association. [NDC website, accessed Dec. 19, 2012] PYALARA is also funded by the Swedish Olof Palme International Center.