A “hero” and an “icon,” adding that “his legacy will endure and be passed down from generation to generation.”
Every year, Puerto Rico marks ‘Lod Massacre Day’ commemorating the Communist terrorist attack in which 16 Christian pilgrims to Israel were murdered by members of a Japanese Communist terrorist organization.
3 members of the Japanese Red Army stowed weapons aboard a plane in Europe and when they entered Israel, opened fire on random people waiting to collect their luggage, the dead included Israelis, a Canadian and a Christian pilgrimage group.
All were milling in the, arrival lounge of the busy terminal when three Japanese, who had just arrived on an Air France flight from Rome, pulled machine guns and hand grenades out of their suitcases and opened fire across the hall. Two of the gunmen were killed in the subsequent fray and the lone survivor is now under interrogation by Israeli authorities.
It was the fate of the party of 68 Puerto Ricans to be stand‐I ing near the Japanese gunmen I as they began shooting. Of their group, 15, aged 20 to 78,1 died on the spot. A 16th died two days later in a hospital.
All except a few relatives of the slain persons have decided to remain in Israel to carry out their tour as planned, under the leadership of a 27‐year‐old Baptist minister, the Rev. Josd Abner Mufioz.
Rubbing his forefinger over the shorn‐off lower right corner, of the inch‐thick book, the Rev. Manuel Vega explained, in somber Spanish, “The bullet went in my, chest, but this book slowed it down and kept it from entering my lungs.”
The 28‐year old Methodist, one of scores wounded in the shooting, was with 67 other Puerto Ricans on a visit to the Holy Land. Twenty‐six persons died in the massacre, including the minister’s wife and 15 other pilgrims.
At Kennedy, where he and eight others in his group returned from Israel, Mr. Vega told his two sisters‐in‐law and their four children before boarding a jet to Puerto Rico: “My wife is with God.” They sobbed uncontrollably. He remained solemn.
Besides Mr. Vega, the other Puerto Rican pilgrims were Rafael Moreira, Esther Moreira, Matilde Guzman, Ruben Ortritiz Rosario, Jesus Cantres, Hermino Ortiz Martinez, Rita Morales and Lydia Martinez.
Two of the Communist Japanese terrorists were killed, the third, Koza Okamoto, was captured, converted to Islam and was unfortunately swapped in one of the older hostage exchanges, and has now died long after he should have been put down.
And Al Jazeera has taken care to remind us that much as the rest of the media lies and pretends that the Qatari terror outlet is a legitimate organization, it’s a terror propaganda outlet that celebrates the murder of Christians, Jews and other non-Muslims. (MEMRI)
The Qatari Al-Jazeera network, known for serving as a platform for incitement to terrorism, also glorified Okamoto despite his past as a terrorist who murdered 26 people. An article on the network’s website, headlined “Okamoto, the Japanese Fighter Who Carried Out the Lod Airport Operation, Dies In Beirut,” portrayed both him and the attack he carried out in a positive light. Describing Okamoto’s life as “a journey of struggle in defense of the Palestinian cause,” the article stated that, on the day of the attack, which “shook Israel”, “Ahmad of Japan” became “a symbol of a new type of “fida’i” operation” adopted by the PFLP against Israel. It called the attack itself “the bravest and most creative resistance operation.” The article also quoted from the mourning statements issued by Palestinian terrorist organizations, and noted that most of those killed and wounded in the attack were U.S. citizens
Another article praising Okamoto was published July 28 on Al-Jazeera by Omar Fares, chairman of the Palestinian Social and Cultural Association in Poland. He described Okamoto as a “hero” and an “icon,” adding that “his legacy will endure and be passed down from generation to generation.”
An earlier article sympathetic to Okamoto was published on the Al-Jazeera website in 2025. Using photographs to trace milestones in his life, the article portrayed him as “the Japanese “fida’” who loved Palestine and popularized the idea of fida’i operations against Israel.” It described the airport attack as “the most famous operation, which inspired the resistance…
A 2020 article on the Al-Jazeera website, by Palestinian writer Nasreen Na’im Al-Barghouti, likewise reviewed Okamoto’s biography while highlighting the attack he carried out. Titled “Kozo Okamoto – The Japanese Fida’i Who Loved Palestine,” the article stated that “Kozo Okamoto, or Ahmad of Japan – who loved Palestine, believed in the Palestinian people’s right to reclaim their land and sacrificed his youth in the prisons of the Israeli occupation – deserves honor and deserves to be known by the world and by the younger generation.
Al Jazeera is a terrorist propaganda outlet and should not be allowed to operate in the United States. Especially not after praising the murder of Americans.
somehistory says
Lies, like a huge tsunami, just keep on pouring in. Celebrating evil…demonic behavior.
“Woe to those putting evil for good, bitter for sweet and darkness for light.”
there have been decades of “putting.” Praying for the “woe” to end the putting.
gravenimage says
Al Jazeera Celebrates Bravery of Communist Islamic Terrorist Who Killed 16 American Christian Pilgrims
…………………………………………………….
Thugs. This is *not* a news outlet.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
When was the first time people outside the region first heard of them? It was after 9/11, when Osama kept using that channel as a mouthpiece for his statements. If one remembers, at the time, the US had that channel censored, just in case he was sending coded messages to jihadists abroad
It’s an absolute disgrace that that channel became normalized and legal in other countries, when even all of Qatar’s neighbors have banned it. While they may all have their own partisan reasons for doing so – al Jazeera never censors views antithetical to those other ruling families or countries, they’ve at least kept Qatari propaganda out of their citizens. Other countries need to do the same
abu taleb says
Many converts to Islam often become terrorists or murderers. Converts to other religions do not do the same. I wonder why. (rhetoric)
࿗Infidel࿘ says
al Jazeera is one more of the reasons that even while I hope that Bahrein, Emirates and even Saudi Arabia come out of this unscathed, I am chuckling at the damages Qatar has sustained to their GDP. I do hope that they get hit bigly some more so that they’ll be in no position after this to bankroll our institutions, or jihad/dawa groups worldwide. They have a per capita GDP several times that of Saudi Arabia, but hopefully, these attacks will make them level
Anonymous says
Leftist platforms will always describe Islamic Terrorists as fighters, rebellions, armed gunmen. They will portray them as fighting for independence rather than the actual cause which is always religiously motivated. Also, jihadists carrying out jihad in cities will also be portrayed as mentally ill so to avoid linking their actions to any religious motivation. In some way if they are not able to cover up crimes motivated by Islamic theologies, they will portray Muslims itself as the biggest victims of such activities.
gary fouse says
Let us not forget Al Jazeera English has a lot of Western writers and academics contributing articles. They should be ashamed.
Siddhi Nasranni says
They get paid too well to be ashamed, even if they know they are telling lies
for Al Jazeera ( The Island). I call it ” Al Taqqiya ” ( The liar’s )
Remember the old adage ? He who pays the Piper, plays the tune.