Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas over the weekend made a congratulatory call to terrorist Yasser Abu Bakr, a senior operative of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, after he was released from prison as part of the ceasefire/hostage deal.

Abu Bakr Abu Bakr was serving a 115-year prison sentence for a 2002 terror attack in Netanya that killed several Israelis, including a 9-month-old baby, as well as other terror attacks that wounded numerous Israelis. Fatah named a training program after him for his “heroic” baby-killing deeds.

In a recording of the call, which was broadcast by Kan News, Abbas is heard congratulating the murderer on his release, telling him that his time in prison was “for the sake of the Palestinian nation.”

Reports about Abbas’ call enraged Israelis. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded: “Mahmoud Abbas remains a terror supporter and the Palestinian Authority is nothing more than a terrorist organization. His phone call to a murderer of Jews should be a wake-up call to those who still delude themselves about the PA as an alternative to Hamas after the war.”

Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir said: “You close your eyes to the PA rewarding murderers and teaching terror, release thousands of terrorists, stop the war in Gaza and retreat from Netzarim and northern Gaza. Give bulldozers to Hamas and don’t forget to tell us they’re deterred. It’s time to change the system.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)