Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia November 23, 2021. Sputnik/Evgeny Biyatov/Kremlin via REUTERS

On the occasion of Fatah’s recent anniversary, Fatah leaders and officials, among them its Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, reiterated and emphasized their support and esteem for all terrorists — imprisoned and wounded, as well the ones killed while attacking Israelis: the “martyrs.”

As Palestinian Media Watch has exposed, Abbas has stressed numerous times that the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Fatah “won’t abandon” the terrorists, and will continue to pay them salaries, even “if only one penny is left” in the PA coffers.

At Fatah’s recent anniversary event, Abbas stated again his admiration for all the terrorists, and vowed not to “abandon” them:

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: “We also send our brave prisoners a salute of honor and appreciation for their giving, their sacrifices, and their patience for the confrontation with the occupation and its prison guards, in order to defend their freedom, the freedom of the homeland, and the honor of our people and its rights. We also salute our heroic wounded and tell our heroes, the prisoners and the wounded and their families and the families of the martyrs, that we won’t abandon you. Your struggles are lofty medals of honor that testify to your sacrifices for the sake of defending your homeland and your people. May you all be blessed.”

[Official PA TV, Dec. 31, 2021]

Abbas reiterated this again a few days later, at a meeting of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council. Speaking about “the economic situation and the financial crisis befalling the State of Palestine,” Abbas again implied that the PA will continue its “Pay-for-Slay” policy and reward terrorists with salaries:

A siege is being imposed on us in order to pressure us, but thanks to our people’s resolve and the crowding of our rank,s we are capable of dealing with it, because justice is with us. We will not abandon our Martyrs, prisoners, and fighters.

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 4, 2022]

The Secretary of Fatah’s Central Committee, Jibril Rajoub, similarly expressed the Movement’s appreciation of the terrorists, stressing their “greatness”:

Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub: “…we also bow before the greatness of our heroic prisoners.”

[Official PA TV, “Topic of the Day,” Jan. 1, 2022]

When a prisoner was recently released, Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki glorified all the terrorist prisoners as “true heroes”:

These are true heroes, they waved the flags of Palestine that waved high even though they were in the prisons, and they demonstrated resolve among this enemy, as the spirit of the Palestinians will not be broken, and they will sacrifice everything for the sake of their freedom and their dignity.

[Official PA TV News, Dec. 28, 2021]

The Fatah Movement Central Committee “saluted our brave prisoners in the occupation’s prisons,” and — as did its Chairman Abbas — implied that salaries to terrorists will continue, by stressing that the terrorists’ “cause” is “the Palestinian people’s central cause, and that we will not agree to the harming of them or their rights, no matter how heavy the pressures may be.” [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 3, 2022]

PMW has documented that the PA has produced videos of Abbas promising the continuation of the PA’s “Pay-for-Slay” reward program for terrorists, turning the term “even if only one penny remains” into a slogan. These videos and others in which Abbas promises continued money flow to terrorists have been broadcast extensively by official PA TV:

• Official PA TV broadcast Abbas’ vow to continue paying terrorist salaries 155 times in 2019: “If one penny remains … it is for them.”

• The PA stressed Abbas’ vow to keep rewarding terrorists with salaries, even if only “one penny” is left, at least 49 times in 2021:

The author is a senior analyst at Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.