PMW Bulletin

Sept. 18, 2011

Mother of 4 terrorist murderers

chosen by the PA

to launch statehood campaign

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=5656

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
p:+972 2 625 4140 e: pmw@palwatch.org

f: +972 2 624 2803 w: www.palwatch.org

The Palestinian Authority chose the mother of 4 terrorist murderers, one of
whom killed seven Israeli civilians and attempted to killed twelve others,
as the person to launch their statehood campaign with the UN.

[Al-Ayyam, Sept. 9, 2011]

[PA TV News, Sept. 8, 2011]

In a widely publicized event, the PA had Latifa Abu Hmeid lead the
procession to the UN offices in Ramallah and to hand over a letter for the
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

The official PA daily reported that she launched the UN campaign last week,
and noted that she is the "mother of seven prisoners and of the Shahid
(Martyr) Abd Al-Mun'im Abu Hmeid." However, the paper did not mention that 4
of her imprisoned sons are murderers.

Palestinian Media Watch reported last year that Abu Hmeid then had 4 sons in
Israeli prisons who were each serving between two and seven life sentences,
a total of 18 life sentences. At that time she was in the news because the
PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Karake, decided to honor her with an
award, "the Plaque of Resoluteness and Giving... inscribed with the names of
her four sons who are imprisoned."

The PA minister explained then why the mother of 4 murderers of Israelis
deserves such honor:

"It is she who gave birth to the fighters, and she deserves that we bow to
her in salute and in honor."

The four sons are serving a total of 18 life sentences for the following
crimes:
Nasser Abu Hmeid - 7 life sentences + 50 years - commander in Fatah's
military wing the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Ramallah. Convicted of
killing seven Israeli civilians and 12 attempted murders.
Nasr Abu Hmeid - 5 life sentences - Member of terror faction of Fatah,
Tanzim, and convicted of involvement in two terror attacks and arms dealing.
Sharif Abu Hmeid - 4 life sentences - a member in one of the brothers' units
carrying out terror attacks against civilians and soldiers. Accompanied a
suicide bomber to his attack in March 2002.
Muhammad Abu Hmeid - 2 life sentences + 30 years - involvement in terror
attacks.

A fifth son, Abd Al-Mun'im Muhammad Yusuf Naji Abu Hmeid, the one reffered
to as "Martyr," was a member of the military wing of Hamas, Izz A-Din
Al-Qassam Brigades, and planned and carried out the ambush and murder of an
Israeli intelligence officer.

PMW has not been able to determine for which crimes the rest of the sons are
imprisoned.

The following are the reports about the mother of the terrorists launching
the PA statehood campaign:

PA TV News interviews Abd Al-Mun'im Wahdan, a member of the "Palestine - the
194th state" national campaign:

Wahdan: "We of the 'Palestine - the 194th state' national campaign [calling
for] a Palestinian state with full sovereignty on the territory of
Palestine, send a delegation from institutions, organizations, and popular
factions. This delegation was headed by Um Nasser Abu Hmeid - this fighter
woman, who is the mother of seven prisoners and the mother of the heroic
Shahid (Martyr) from the [military wing of Hamas] Izz A-Din Al-Qassam
Brigades. This campaign included a letter in which the people demand that
the UN recognize Palestine as a state with full sovereignty, like the other
countries."

[PA TV (Fatah), Sept. 8, 2011]

"The 'Palestine - the 194th State' campaign has embarked on its national
activities in support of realization [of the appeal to the UN] in September
and obtaining UN membership for the State of Palestine, by conveying a
letter to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, via his representative in
Ramallah. The campaign started out opposite the UN building in Ramallah,
with the participation of a number of heads of factions and national forces,
representatives of official and popular institutions, independent
personalities, and members of trade unions. Hajja Latifa Abu Hmeid, mother
of seven prisoners and of the Shahid (Martyr) Abd Al-Mun'im Abu Hmeid,
handed the letter to the representative of the UN Secretary General in
Ramallah."

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 9, 2011]

"[In a procession which set off] yesterday from opposite the Cultural
Auditorium in Ramallah in the direction of the UN representative office in
Ramallah, the 'Palestine - the 194th State' national campaign was
inaugurated... when Latifa Abu Hmeid, known as the 'mother of the
prisoners', handed over a letter addressed to UN Secretary General, Ban
Ki-Moon, via his representative in Ramallah... She was chosen [for this]
because she is a symbol of Palestinian suffering as a result of the
occupation's (i.e., Israel's) policy... She is the mother of prisoners
Muhammad Abu Hmeid and his brothers Nasr, Nasser, Sharif, Basel, Islam and
Jihad. She is prevented from seeing her sons who are sitting in the
occupation's prisons."

[Al-Ayyam, Sept. 9, 2011]