Reports of some Palestinians celebrating the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States emerged shortly after the events, depicting individuals dancing and distributing candy in areas like East Jerusalem and Nablus. This imagery, captured by news outlets such as Reuters and ABC News, showed a small number of individuals reacting to the tragic events. The footage became a point of significant controversy and discussion regarding its scope and representation of the broader Palestinian sentiment.
In immediate response to the attacks, the Palestinian Authority (PA) leadership unequivocally condemned the acts of terrorism. Then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat expressed condolences to the American people and government, stating, "We completely condemn this very dangerous attack." The PA's Information Minister, Yasser Abed Rabbo, also asserted that such celebrations were not representative of Palestinian sentiments and that the PA would not allow "a few kids" to "smear the real face of the Palestinians." Arafat's security services reportedly moved to quell any scattered celebrations.
The timing of the 9/11 attacks coincided with the Second Intifada, a period of intense Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinian officials, including Arafat, were concerned that the actions of a few individuals could lead to Palestinians being perceived as terrorists by the West, rather than freedom fighters. This concern drove the PA's swift and strong official condemnation of the attacks.
Despite the official condemnation, some analyses and reports, particularly from sources like Palwatch and Algemeiner, later claimed that official PA media outlets, in subsequent years, engaged in anti-American rhetoric or even glorified aspects of 9/11, depicting it as an American conspiracy or using imagery that some interpreted as celebrating the attacks. These conflicting narratives highlight the complex and often contentious interpretations surrounding reactions to the 9/11 events within Palestinian society and media. The initial reports of celebrations, though limited in scope and officially disavowed, continue to be referenced in discussions about the historical context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.