Palestinian Social Media Campaign Celebrates Tel Aviv Bus Attack

Barely an hour passed after today's terrorist attack in Tel Aviv before Palestinians took to social media to celebrate and laud 23-year-old Hamza Matrouk, a Palestinian from Tulkarem in the West Bank. Early Wednesday morning Matrouk entered the No. 40 Tel Aviv bus heading northbound, and stabbed seventeen innocent passengers, including the bus driver.

Eight people remain in the hospital as of Wednesday afternoon, with three in critical condition.

The praise for Matrouk came in the form of tweets, Facebook posts, and also animated photos, honoring him for his actions. Matrouk, who was in Israeli illegally, told police that his attack was inspired by the IDF's Operation Protective Edge last summer, and also the new wave of tensions surrounding a Jerusalem site significant to both Muslims and Jews, the Temple Mount.

One of the posts that trended in Palestinian media were of cartoons encouraging similar attacks, including one by animator Bahaa Yaseen, who posted a caricature of a smiling Palestinian terrorist holding a bloody knife. Beside him, a sign reads "Occupied Tel-A-rabia.

Another cartoon was posted by the Palestinian Shebab agency, also drawn by Yaseen. This one depicts a cartoon knife, also smiling at his victory over the "infidels," accompanied by text that reads "Good Morning, Palestine" in Arabic. The knife's blade is covered in blood, and contains the Palestinian flag. Beside it is the Israeli flag, covered in blood.

Both images have reportedly been removed.

Following the series of car attacks against Israelis in Jerusalem, a similar social media campaign was launched where cars were likened to rockets, encouraged to be used to murder innocent Israelis.