The Israeli government issued photos and video Thursday to debunk Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ recent claim that Israel had executed a 13-year-old Palestinian after he and his cousin stabbed and seriously wounded two Israelis earlier in the week.
In the video and photos released by the Israeli government, Ahmed Manasra is alive and recovering in a Jerusalem hospital.
During his televised speech, Abbas held up the photo claiming Ahmed had been executed.
Thursday’s photos showed Manasra in a Jerusalem hospital bed, images apparently meant to convey the teen is receiving not only medical treatment but also ample food and drink as seen on the bedside table next to him.
Israeli officials accused Abbas of fueling more attacks by spreading false claims about Monday’s events.
Israel’s largest circulation dailies Thursday had banner headlines proclaiming Abbas a “Liar” and his claim “The Lie.”
"Liar" proclaimed Israel Hayom next to a photo of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
“Liar” proclaimed Israel Hayom next to a photo of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Yediot Aharonoth called Abbas' claim "the lie."
Yediot Aharonoth called Abbas’ claim “the lie.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Abbas’ comments Wednesday night using Abbas’ nom de guerre, Abu Mazen.
Israeli police on Wednesday released security camera video showing the unfolding of Monday’s attack in Jerusalem when Manasra and his 15-year-old cousin Hassan chased their victims while brandishing knives. Israeli police circled the knives in red to highlight that the boys were not innocent bystanders. (Content warning — graphic)
They attacked a 13-year-old Israeli boy on his bicycle after identifying him as a potential victim as he exited a candy store. Israeli hospital staff earlier in the week said the Jewish boy was gravely injured and lost a large amount of blood when the stabbers severed a major artery.
But all week, Palestinians have been claiming that the boys were innocent victims. Ahmed’s father told Israel’s Channel 2, “My son doesn’t know how to hold a knife in order to stab. He’s 13; he’s still a boy. He didn’t stab and doesn’t know how to stab.”
Ahmed’s cousin and suspected co-conspirator Hassan was shot dead by police responding to the stabbing attack, while Ahmed was wounded when a car struck him.
A cellphone video widely spread in Palestinian circles showed Israeli men moments after the stabbing attack shouting expletives at the injured Ahmed, including “Die, son of a whore.”
The PLO on Thursday released a revised English transcript of the Abbas speech swapping out the word “execute” with “shooting” in an apparent bid to gloss over Abbas’ erroneous claim.
This was Abbas original quote as reported by Haaretz on Wednesday: “We will not agree to continue the situation on our land, and not the policy of occupation and aggression by Israel and its settlers, who commit terror against our people, our homes, our trees, our holy places, and who execute our children in cold blood, as they did to the child Ahmed Mansara [the stabber] and other children in Jerusalem and other places. We will continue our national struggle which is based on self-defense.”
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