Tuesday 1 July 2014

(*)

The situation in Israel is getting hotter and hotter.
The recent reconciliation of Fatah (the ruling AP party) and Hamas (a radical Islamic organization) infuriated Israel and their allies, which led to suspending the peace talks. On the 12 June, three yeshiva teenage students: Gil-Ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrahand and Naftali Fraenkel were abducted by unknown terrorists. The one that was immediately held responsible was obviously Hamas. IDF and Shin Bet conducted an intense search for the boys all around the country.
The whole Jewish world united in social campaigns and prayers for their safe return home. Personally, I was deeply moved by the authenticity and emotionality of the widespread Bring Back Our Boys action. Today, everybody went through a huge shock, as IDF soldiers found dead bodies of the three kidnapped teens buried under a pile of rocks near the Hebron settlements.
Israeli politicians, from left to right, expressed their compassion for the boys’ families,  strongly condemned the brutal murder and declared to do all in their power to punish the terrorists. What does that mean in practice? Searching over 2000 households in the West Bank, arresting about 550 Palestinians, causing approximately 100 injuries and 6 deaths, bombing the houses of the men accused of the abduction, tripling the number of soldiers in the West Bank, airstrikes of the Gaza Strip, shutting down Hamas-related radio and television, tightening the grip over the Arab areas of Jerusalem… In other words, doing everything to crush Hamas and prove and to the whole world how powerful, proud and protective towards its citizens the State of Israel is.
The spiral of violence and mutual hateful declarations starts to spin. Rockets hit homes and factories on both sides of the wall. Politicians spread apocalyptic visions of bringing hell to their enemies. In the neighboring Middle Eastern countries, unrest continues. Syria is torn by the more and more chaotic, pointless war;  ISIS and ISIL newly-declared Iraqi caliphates are fought with the support of American troops; Egypt and Lebanon suffer from terrorist attacks by various militant groups, Iran’s stance at denuclearization remains firm, etc, etc.

 Meanwhile, the innocent, vulnerable children keep dying. Some get their names printed in newspapers all around the world and a Prime Minister’s speech at their funeral. Most don’t. 

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