Palestinian youth center names soccer tourney after terrorist

A Palestinian youth center in the West Bank city of Jenin named a soccer tournament after the Palestinian terrorist who killed two people in Jerusalem’s Old City last month.

According to Palestinian Media Watch, an NGO that monitors Palestinian media reports, the Yasser Arafat Youth Center in Jenin named the tournament after Muhannad Halabi, 19, from el-Bireh near Ramallah who stabbed and killed Aharon Banita and Rabbi Nehemia Lavi in Jerusalem on October 3. Halabi also stabbed Banita’s wife multiple times, injuring her moderately.

Security forces shot and killed Halabi after arriving on the scene, alerted by Banita’s wife.

According to a November 2 Al-Hayat Al-Jadida report cited by PMW, “the Martyr Yasser Arafat Youth Center succeeded in organizing the first football tournament named after Martyr (Shahid) Muhannad Halabi, which took place on its football fields. The final game was played by the Yasser Arafat Youth Center and Bal’a, which rightly won the title.”

The Shin Bet security service said Sunday that it arrested a suspected accomplice of Halabi’s.

Abed al-Aziz Mari was accused of helping Halabi cross into Jerusalem illegally, purchasing a knife and planning out the attack.

Mari planned the attack after police turned him and Halabi away from praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to Hebrew media reports.

A street in the municipality of Surda-Abu Qash in the West Bank was named after Halabi.