# 254 – 3 Kidnapped Boys

June 2, 2014

This has got to be the worst time to write such a letter – what, with the World Cup mania taking hold – and it’s a terrific World Cup this time round. Favourites ousted after just 2 games, minnows frightening the big boys, high-scoring games as a result of fine, attacking strategies, and such happy crowds.

Last night’s games were all great. I can assure you that Israel has sport pages as colourful as any country. Even yesterday’s terrific performance by Iran against Argentina was warmly applauded in Israel.

Well, perhaps half of you are not interested in football – still like to know about the rest of the news. And, at least here in Israel, the front page headlines have been focusing on one particular subject – 3 more kidnappings.

We KNOW how the international media is covering this: we know that there are points of view that differ greatly from ours. We can’t change that. But we (in this case, I) can do our best to to give you our point of view.

First of all, it was NOT ‘3 settlers kidnapped’. Only 1 of the boys lives in what some uninformed (and biased?) people call the settlements in the occupied territories. (If this point of view were true, than a great portion of this World would constantly be ‘occupied’. A reminder that a) when you start an illegal war, be prepared also to accept the consequences of loss.

And b), when these ‘occupied’ areas were actually occupied by Jordan and Egypt, and where known atrocities were the norm, such as the destruction of all synagogues, where were the critics?).

One overseas newspaper says: “Israel keeps forgetting that settlements in the West Bank are illegal’. That newspaper should remember that starting a war against a fellow member of the UN, in gross defiance of UN Resolution 181 is ‘far more illegal’…

Next, there appears to be over-focus on Israel’s reaction to the kidnappings. In some circles, it’s ‘they’re getting what they deserve’ and ‘serves them right’. Well, that’s one opinion. But, whatever the reasoning, don’t blame Israel for doing whatever it can to get them back.

Another report says ‘Hamas has denied responsibility…’. And Fatah has officially condemned the kidnapping. These two factions claim they are now unified. Why don’t they, for once, use this opportunity to show their decency, and publicly work with Israel to find these boys? What an opportunity lost.

Yet another report states that ‘Israel doesn’t miss an opportunity to bully the Palestinians’. For 100 years, the Jews have been trying to live with their neighbours. (A reminder that NO ONE can convince me that the Jews came to this country over that century with guns in their hands. They came with everything but..And how did their neighbours react? Refugees/immigrants IS a problem in many countries.

The fact that Jews do have ‘more rights’ to live in Israel than, say Italians, Irish, Puerto Ricans and Jews in New York is not the point. But most of this section of society have been treated far more fairly by the local community than have the Jews by the Arabs in the Middle East).

A chance to bully? Silly statement.

My opinion?

I am concerned at the timing of these kidnappings. Just after Hamas/Fatah unofficial unification – and the subsequent lack of signs that the new potential govt. wants peace. An opportunity missed. So I am still totally suspicious of any peace negotiations with the new entity.

The Gilad Schalit saga is still raw on our nerves. One soldier held for 5 years – and eventually released in exchange for 1,000 Palestinians prisoners, many with proven blood on their hands. It set the wrong precedent, it showed political weakness – and now the consequences.

Same story with the recent peace talks. How did we agree to be pressured by USA to release criminals, just to get the Palestinians to come to the table?? This was a disastrous move by Israel. Very few here understood what was going on. We got NOTHING in return – and again showed weakness. (And some accuse me of moving to the right? Wouldn’t you in response to all this?).

These boys are not going to come home tomorrow and say ‘we got lost’ or ‘we met these 3 girls and decided to have some fun’. They’re not ‘naughty kids who should know better’.

(And, by the way, in the area known to some as the Occupied Territories, public transport service is bad – for all members of the communities. Hitch-hiking continues, today, to be a normal activity).

They’re teenagers.

Their abductors may feel that ‘their enemy deserves this’ etc. etc. But you know and I know that the situation has got to the point where the tit-for-tat has got to stop. Nothing’s black and white here, but I can assure you, as a potentially left-wing peacemaker, that Arafat and his followers (physically and chronologically) continue to ‘never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity’.

Some in authority KNOW where these boys are. That’s 100% certain.

Let’s have them home….

Stephen