Photo Credit: Issam Rimawi/FLASH90
Mahmoud Abbas said he would not sign a peace deal with Israel 'so long as there is one prisoner behind bars'

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is about to make his tenth visit to Israel in order to “facilitate” the “peace process” and usher in the era of good will between the long-time not best of friends the Israelis and the Palestinian Arabs. Just take a gander at the photo below.  It is what is posted on the official Facebook page of Fatah, the self-described “Palestinian National Liberation Movement,” the party of Palestinian Arab leader Mahmoud Abbas.

A screenshot of the page was tweeted on Tuesday, Jan. 1, by Mark Regev, the spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister. Regev included the message, “this pic, glorifying terror, was posted by Pres Abbas’s Fatah on its FB page as #SecKerry arrives to promote peace.”

The Fatah Facebook cover photo. Does this look like Fatah is ready for peace?
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There is also a smaller inset picture on the Fatah Facebook page. This is a slightly updated version of the official Fatah logo. As pointed out by an observer who saw Regev’s tweet, the logo is perhaps even more alarming. It makes absolutely clear that Fatah has no interest in a negotiated “two state solution.” Neither two states, nor anything suggesting negotiations as a desired tactic, appears on the Fatah logo.

The official logo of the Fatah party

The Fatah logo has a picture of the Dome of the Rock shrine located on the Temple Mount, with a Palestinian flag waving. According to Palestinian Media Watch, the Dome represents both Islam and the Palestinian claim to all of Jerusalem. The logo also contains a map of Israel – all of Israel, Areas A, B and C, in chains. They want to liberate all of the land.  The number 49 at the top of the picture is for the 49th year of the revolution. The key, along the bottom of the picture, of course represents the claims made by Palestinian Arabs that they are still carrying the keys to the homes in Israel which were allegedly taken from them.  The gun image running along the entire right hand side of the logo suggests a peaceful path is not the one they choose.

The dove breaking free from chains represents the Palestinian Arab “political prisoners,” all of whom Fatah believes must be freed.

In striking contrast, the emblem of the state of Israel is a menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum, flanked by olive branches.  The menorah has been the symbol of the Jewish people for millennium.  It is intended to represent Israel as a light unto the nations. The olive branches symbolize peace. Beneath the pictures appears the word Israel in Hebrew letters.

The Likud party, the party of Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu – the party and the man are always described as “hawkish” – is simply a slightly italicized version of the word Likud in Hebrew. Likud means “consolidation” or “combination” in Hebrew.

Perhaps these images will be forwarded to Secretary Kerry and his boss, as well as all other American politicians and other leaders who believe now is the right time to browbeat Israel into making peace with Abbas and his Fatah party, whose symbols appear above.

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Lori Lowenthal Marcus is a contributor to the JewishPress.com. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she previously practiced First Amendment law and taught in Philadelphia-area graduate and law schools. You can reach her by email: [email protected]