Jordanian parliament reads Quran chapter in honor of slain Palestinian terrorist

The Jordanian parliament on Sunday honored a slain Palestinian terrorist who killed two Israelis last week by reading a Quran chapter in his memory.

On March 17 Omar Abu Laila, 18, stabbed and killed a soldier, 19-year-old Sgt. Gal Keidan, in the northern West Bank. He then stole the soldier’s weapon and shot Rabbi Achiad Ettinger, 47, as he drove by; Ettinger died the next day. On Tuesday, the assailant was killed during a shootout with IDF soldiers near Ramallah after a two-day manhunt.

The eulogy for Abu Laila on Sunday was organized by MP Khalil Atiyeh, who last week saluted him — before he was killed — for “killing the Jews.” During the same session Atiyeh called Israel’s ambassador “a descendant of monkeys and pigs.”

On Sunday, Atiyeh stood up to salute Abu Laila again and recited the Quran passage, after which all those present in the parliamentary hall rose to honor him.

Omar Abu Laila, 18, the suspected terrorist in the Ariel Junction attack (Facebook)

Meanwhile, a mourning tent for the terrorist was set up near the capital Amman, according to Israel’s Kan public broadcaster.

There has so far been no response from Israeli officials.

Jordan is the only Arab country apart from Egypt to have a peace deal with Israel. But the treaty is overwhelmingly opposed by Jordanians, more than half of whom are of Palestinian origin.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.