Hamas terrorists carry grenade launchers at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, Feb. 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

At a recent graduation ceremony for released terrorists and students at Al-Quds Open University, the Palestinian Authority (PA)’s District Governor of Ramallah, Laila Ghannam, represented PA leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Speaking in Abbas’ name she promoted the PA’s death cult, stressing that Palestinians hold “Palestine” in higher regard than the life of their children, who they are willing to sacrifice for “the homeland”:

District Governor of Ramallah Laila Ghannam: “It is the Palestinian woman’s right to ululate in joy [over her sons’ graduation] as she ululated at the funeral of her sons. We know that every son is dear to his mother, but Palestine is dearer to our hearts.” [emphasis added]

[Ramallah District Governor Laila Ghannam, Facebook page, July 28, 2026]

This was only a few days after Ghannam at another graduation ceremony told students that dying for Allah — “Martyrdom” — is the “greater certificate,” meaning death as a Martyr is better than obtaining a matriculation certificate.

Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) has exposed how Ghannam and other top PA officials use this word play on the Arabic word “shahada,” which can mean both.

Ten years ago, PMW documented the same word play used by the PA in two of its official means of communication.

Reporting on high school graduations in 2016, the PA compared the “certificates” obtained by students to the “certificates” obtained by students who chose the way of terror and died while attacking Israelis. The PA openly stated which is the better certificate, explaining that “death as a Martyr is the path to excellence and greatness” [WAFA, official PA news agency), July 11, 2016; official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 12, 2016].

The PA claims to Western donors that it is “reforming.” The funders of the PA’s future should demand that the PA stop promoting its death cult to Palestinians in general and to youth in particular.

Below is a transcript of Ghannam praising a released terrorist as a hero:

Ramallah District Governor Laila Ghannam: “Amir Abu Raddaha was imprisoned for 34 years, but today – stand up, Amir, raise your head! Raise your head, let them congratulate you. 34 years, but he defeated the prison, the oppression, and the jailers, and today he is in higher education. Congratulations, Amir!”

The author is a contributor to Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this story first appeared.