The following article was compiled by journalists at the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.

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MONDAY, 19 MARCH 2001

In another "Day of Rage" on Friday, Palestinian children took centre stage at protests glorifying suicide bombings and waging jihad against Israel.

Hundreds of Palestinians participated in angry demonstrations on Friday and Saturday in Gaza, Ramallah, Nablus, Kalkilya and the Bethlehem area. At a rally sponsored by Islamic militants in Gaza, fourth-graders acted out a suicide bombing as adults cheered and threatened Israel with new attacks. And in a march in Nablus, Palestinian boys waving assault rifles rode on their fathers' shoulders, a scene that has become more and more familiar since the start of the Palestinian uprising.

The role of Palestinian children in the six months of Palestinian fighting against Israel has been widely reported in the world press. Israel says the Palestinians deliberately endanger their children by sending them to the front lines of violent protests to win the world's sympathy. Of some 350 Palestinians killed in clashes since late September, sources claim 66 have been under the age of 18, while an estimated 2,000 minors have been injured. [It should be noted that over half of the Palestinian population are minors.]

On Friday, the terrorist faction Islamic Jihad staged a memorial rally for three children from families linked to the movement who have been killed in clashes in recent months. In the highlight of the rally, 15 children - all younger than 10 - staged a play about a suicide bombing in Israel, with the coaching of the adults.

A boy was dressed as a suicide bomber, wearing a black face mask, green robe and a little package wrapped in tinfoil strapped to his belt, meant to symbolize explosives. His voice muffled by the mask, he led other children in chanting, "We die for the sake of God." Another boy slipped into a cardboard box with an Israeli flag on it and lay on the ground, symbolizing the aftermath of a suicide bombing. In another part of the program, a young girl listened to fiery speeches, her light brown curls brushing against a pistol. Another girl with a white head scarf shouted into a microphone:

"Raise the flag of Holy War."

Islamic Jihad leader Abdullah Shami defended putting children on the stage. "The Islamic nation and the Palestinian nation, from the small children to the old men, are ready to sacrifice for this land," he said.

On the same day in Nablus, during a rally attended by 2,500 people, assault rifles were pressed into the hands of several children who were then hoisted onto their fathers' shoulders.

Fadel Abu Hein, a child psychologist in Gaza, said participation in such demonstrations can rob children of hope. "It instills fear," Abu Hein said. "It makes them more aggressive."

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SOURCES: THE JERUSALEM POST, ISRAEL LINE, HA'ARETZ, REUTERS, CNN, ASSOCIATED PRESS, ARUTZ 7, ISRAEL WIRE, IMRA, IBA NEWS.

This bulletin was compiled and written by David Parsons, Rashel Gibbs and Amanda Ruth Thomas.

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ICEJ NEWS SERVICE

Editor: David Parsons

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