Right-wing figures lambast Erekat as terror supporter

Ofir Sofer, a lawmaker for the religious right-wing Yamina party, says: “Saeb Erekat praised terrorists, advocated a boycott of the State of Israel and was even one of the promoters of the Jenin massacre blood libel. How can even half a good word be said about him?”

That was a reference to the fact that in 2002, Erekat was an influential propagator of a false report that the Israeli army had massacred 500 Palestinians in Jenin. In fact, in bitter fighting when the IDF entered the Jenin refugee camp, from which Palestinian suicide bombers were being dispatched to target Israelis, 50-55 Palestinians, most of them armed gunmen, and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed.

The false allegations disseminated by Erekat and his colleagues were given wide credibility and immense coverage in much of the international media.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair calls him a “terrorist who worked for the destruction of Israel,” slamming journalists who mourned him.

However, Likud lawmaker Tzachi Hanegbi tells Army Radio that he is “saddened” by the news and wished his family “know no more sorrow.”