New York Times Ad: Chairman Arafat, Which Will It Be? Peace Or Jihad?

American Jewish Committee
Friday, 28 March 1997

On Friday, March 28, The American Jewish Committee Took Out This Full-Page Ad In The New York Times.

CHAIRMAN ARAFAT:

On March 11, you released from prison Ibrahim Makadama, chief of the secret military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization.

On March 21, a Hamas suicide bomber murdered three Israeli women and wounded more than forty people in a Tel Aviv café. That very day, Makadama addressed thousands of cheering people at a rally in Gaza.

Here's a translation of what he said:

"Nothing can stop Israel except holy warriors carrying explosives on their bodies to destroy the enemies of God. We will not liberate Jerusalem through negotiations; we will not liberate Jerusalem through demonstrations and rallies. We will liberate Jerusalem through continuous jihad [holy war], and with the help of Allah, blessed be his name, we will continue on the path of jihad.

"Our people must chase them, whether they live in Tel Aviv or in Latin America. The new intifada [uprising] is a different kind of intifada, and just as Rabin, in the past, wanted Gaza to drown in the sea, we must make Netanyahu curse the day his mother gave birth to him, and we must make Netanyahu hope that Jerusalem will drown in the sea.

"Do not fear the strength of your enemy. Do not fear his planes or his atom bombs. Do not fear America or the other heretical nations that support it.

"Allah is with us, Allah is the greatest, Allah is with us, Allah is the greatest."

CHAIRMAN ARAFAT, WHICH WILL IT BE? PEACE OR JIHAD?

For everyone's sake, we pray it's peace.

The American Jewish Committee

AJC works for the security and well-being of Israel, supports peace between Israel and its neighbors, and advocates a strong international response to terrorism.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org