Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. Photo: YouTube screenshot.

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the international community to condemn the Palestinian leadership’s praise for terrorists who murder Israeli civilians, the Jerusalem Post reported.

“Fanaticism, zealotry is there…When we hear incitement and praise for terrorists from supposed peace partners, we say, ‘Cut it out’,” said Netanyahu in a meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry.

A Fatah-affiliated cell claimed responsibility for opening fire on the car of Eitam and Na’ama Henkin’s – an Israeli couple in their 30s – while they were driving home with four of their children. The children – ranging in age from four months to nine years old – witnessed the murder of their parents, but were not injured.

“The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement Fatah, accepted responsibility for the Itamar operation (the murder of Eitam and Na’ama Henkin), carried out against settlers, leading to their deaths,” posted Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul on his official Facebook page, according to Palestinian Media Watch.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas did not mention the attack, let alone condemn it, during an appearance Friday evening. Further, several Palestinian factions, including Hamas, praised the attack as heroic.

The attack comes amidst increased Palestinian violent incitement against Jews and growing hostilities in Jerusalem.

“The Al-Aqsa [Mosque] is ours… and they have no right to defile it with their filthy feet. We will not allow them to, and we will do everything in our power to protect Jerusalem… We bless every drop of blood that has been spilled for Jerusalem, which is clean and pure blood, blood spilled for Allah, Allah willing. Every martyr (Shahid) will reach Paradise, and everyone wounded will be rewarded by Allah,” Palestinian Authority (PA) President Abbas said in a speech, segments of which were aired on official PA TV and posted on his website.

Netanyahu contrasted the silence from Palestinian officials about the Henkins’ murder to the Israeli response to the firebombing by Israeli extremists in Duma that killed a Palestinian toddler. Israeli officials of all stripes condemned the attack.

“Compare this to the silence of the Palestinian leadership now,” Netanyahu said Friday. “I have not heard their condemnation.”

Steven Emerson is the Executive Director the Investigative Project on Terrorism (www.investigativeproject.org) where this article first appeared.