City of Ma’ale Adumim bans entry of Arabs wearing M-16 shirts

The M-16 rifles used by terrorists who recently carried out deadly attacks “have become an inspiring symbol for many young Palestinians,” Al Arab reported.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

The mayor of the city of Ma’ale Adumim Benny Kasriel ordered the city’s security department not to allow the entry of any Arab worker wearing signs expressing support for terrorism, such as the M-16 emblem, which has become a fashion craze in Arab society.

“Zero tolerance and zero inclusion for any gesture or sign indicating support for terrorism and threats. We have already released several workers caught with the same gestures to terrorism,” he stated Thursday.

the Police have received reports at various locations across the country of Arab workers wearing T-shirts with M-16 rifles on them, a site they found menacing.

Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) reported this week that the latest fashion craze in the Palestinian Authority areas and among some Israeli Arabs are shirts and pants with an M-16 rifle printed on them.

They became popular as a show of support for the murder of Israelis immediately after terrorist Diya Hamarsheh murdered five men in Bnei Brak last month, and was shown on TV and social media shooting at Israeli victims with his M-16 rifle, the watchdog explained.

Abu Hamza, a store owner in the PA described the phenomenon to Al-Arab, an independent UK Arab news website.

“The demand for this kind of clothing is huge,” he said. In 10 days he sold approximately 12,000 shirts or pants that have the M-16 print on them, and ordered 12,000 additional units due to “the huge demand.”

“Palestinian and Israeli academics and politicians say that the attacks that Palestinians recently carried out against Israeli targets, which in some of them M-16 weapons were used, ‘have become an inspiring symbol for many young Palestinians, which increases their desire to copy those carrying out [the attacks],’” Al Arab reported.

“Palestinian popular support for these murderers reflects the support coming from the Palestinian leadership,” PMW charged. “The message of the shirts at this time is open support or even admiration for the use of weapons to murder Israelis during the current terror wave. Israelis are naturally outraged at this open terror support by some Israeli-Arabs.”