By Stan Goodenough
They terrorized the rapidly shrinking Christian community in the little town of Bethlehem, and in 2002 took more than 200 priests and nuns hostage in the Church of the Nativity that marks the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
During their 39 days holed up in the church they desecrated Christian literature, including Bibles, allegedly using one for toilet paper and relieving themselves on the floors of some of the rooms.
They were eventually allowed to leave under a deal struck between the Israeli government and PLO chief Yasser Arafat.
But now, in the latest in a stream of "goodwill" gestures to the murdering Muslims who comprise the bulk of the PLO and its spawned terrorist groups, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reportedly told PL/PA chief Mahmoud Abbas in a meeting Tuesday that these banished terrorists are free to return home to Bethlehem.
This is according to a report in WorldNetDaily citing top "Palestinian" sources.
The killers are said to be overjoyed.
"This is a victory for the Palestinian people and for the Fatah militias. It is a very happy day," exulted Jihad Jaara, the exiled director of the Nativity siege and Bethlehem-area chief of the Al Aqsa Martyrs ...   more »