A democracy-supporting Palestinian-American is under death threat from Palestinian jihadists. He doesn’t chant the usual victimology, Israel-hating propaganda about “the occupation” at every turn, and it is costing him not to do so.
Although the Biden Administration knows all about the case of Elsalameen, it appears to be intentionally avoiding Elsalameen’s plight beyond shallow lip service.
Biden has distanced himself from the Trump Administration’s decision in 2018 to cut over $200 million in U.S. aid to Palestinians over concerns that American taxpayer money was going to jihad terror. Biden decided to “reset” US-Palestinian ties, including hundreds of millions in “economic and humanitarian assistance.” Biden must know about the pay-for-slay program and the exorbitant amounts of money paid to jihadis who kill Israelis. But he clearly doesn’t care. Nor does he care about the human rights and safety of Fadi Elsalameen.
“Palestinian Terrorists Issue Death Threat on American Reformer as Biden Admin Seeks Closer Ties,” by Adam Credo, Washington Free Beacon, March 29, 2021:
After more than a week of silence in the face of questions, the State Department said it is concerned about the safety of a prominent pro-democracy Palestinian-American who recently received death threats from a terror organization affiliated with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
Fadi Elsalameen, a human-rights and anti-corruption activist who is seen as a leading challenger to Abbas’s presidency, is facing death threats over his efforts to reform the Palestinian government and orient it more toward the West. The fledgling government is gearing up for elections next month. The death threats were formally issued earlier this month by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed terrorist group loyal to Abbas’s Fatah political party.
Elsalameen, in a March 20 Twitter message disclosing the threat, said he has no security detail and called on the Biden administration to strongly denounce the threats emanating from the Martyrs Brigades. The State Department, which is responsible for protecting Americans abroad, declined to take a stance on the matter as recently as Friday when asked by reporters about Elsalameen’s safety during a press briefing. On the same day, the State Department announced $15 million in new aid for the Palestinian government.
The State Department’s silence quickly stoked concerns that the Biden administration is intentionally refraining from condemning Palestinian leadership amid its effort to resume giving taxpayer aid dollars to the government. That move that has drawn criticism from Republican foreign policy leaders, who maintain that the Palestinian government should not receive aid until it ends its support for terrorism and ongoing incitement against Israel. The Washington Free Beacon first reported last week that the State Department determined the Palestinian government continues to spend international aid dollars caring for imprisoned terrorists and their families as part of a program known as “pay-to-slay.”
A State Department official, speaking only on background, told the Free Beacon that the department is aware of the threats on Elsalameen’s life and takes them seriously. The official did not single out Abbas or criticize his government’s association with the Martyrs Brigades. It remains unclear what exactly the Biden administration is doing to ensure Elsalameen’s safety abroad.
“The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is the State Department’s highest priority,” the official said. “Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization responsible for numerous terrorist murders in recent decades.”
This is not the first time Elsalameen has been threatened as a result of his pro-democracy activism and criticism of Abbas’s rule. His home outside Hebron in the West Bank was shot up by unknown gunman in 2016, causing damage but no fatalities.
Elsalameen told the Free Beacon the Biden administration should be taking the matter much more seriously. With the administration restarting aid to the Palestinian government and working to unwind the Trump administration’s hardline policies, the United States should tell Abbas and his government that it will not accept death threats against American citizens.
“I am asking President Biden to pressure President Abbas to condemn this death threat and call it off,” Elsalameen said. “I am a pro-democracy and anti-corruption activist; my goal is constructive reform for the Palestinian people. There is no reason for anyone to call for my death let alone a faction linked to President Abbas who receives hundreds of millions of dollars in [aid from the American government].”
Human rights groups and American foreign policy leaders have condemned the threats on Elsalameen’s life.
The Human Rights Foundation condemned the Martyrs Brigades last week and cited it as “the armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ political party, Fatah.”…
wpm says
Biden handlers do not care about American citizens that are threated by terrorist groups overseas or even in mainland USA they fully support the communist terror group BLM here in America .The Biden handlers are ready and able to hand over millions of dollars (Us taxpayers dollars) to help the current Palestinian ruler for life Mahmoud Abbas and his terrorist enforcers to pay “pensions” to terrorist families of jailed Jihadist. If Elsalameen is killed and his killers are thrown into an Israeli jail the families of those killers will receive monthly payment of money provided by American taxpayer dollars.
Richard says
CNN
US Capitol put under lockdown after vehicle rammed into barricade, suspect emerged with a knife.
Attack does not appear to be terrorism-related, police say
Is that because it appears to be a typical Islamic vehicular Jihad attack? Of course all such attacks have to be denied as terrorism-related on principle.
It might associate Islam with terrorism and that would be Islamophobic and racist.
gravenimage says
This *is* Jihad. Attacker is Nation of Islam member “Brother Noah X.”.
He murdered on of the officers.
gravenimage says
Palestinian jihadis threaten to murder Palestinian-American reformer, Biden administration declines to speak out
……………………
Just appalling, but no surprise. I hope Elsalameen is able to stay safe–no thanks to Biden if he does.