The atrocity of abductions–extremists again destroy peace hopes

Needless to say the abduction is horrific and leaves us speechless with outrage. And extremists are again destroying peace hopes–on both sides; and this time it is violent Palestinian extremists.

Netanyahu’s demagogic excuse to demonize Abbas doesn’t help matters. It’s Netanyahu at the Kerry peace talks all over again, ineffectually trying to score points.

I do have to add that shame goes to Israel’s government for placing and keeping so many innocents — including and especially youth — in a position of being stuck in an illegal and invasional settler-colonial occupation—the government thus putting their young citizens so dangerously in harm’s way. More on this in a moment.

But by far the most important matter –and beyond politics– is to hope these teens are returned home safe and sound and ASAP.

This isn’t about politics — even if Netanyahu contemptibly tries to make it so — but only about pure horror and tragedy and intense fear. It’s about the kids, we devoutly hope alive but yet then in mortal fear, and their mortally afraid trembling families and loved ones. And a mortally apprehensive country awaiting news of their fate, and hopefully soon liberation.

To go further on the extremism: Extremists on both sides, including Israeli invaders with 700,000 settlers and military occupiers, and occupying police and military and home demolishers, so on both sides: On the one side the Israeli government and hard Right and settler movement, and on the other side the extremist terrorist element –Hamas, rogue groups, and on and on — of the stateless and third-world and powerless and despairing Palestinians – the extremists on each side — perpetuate the conflict in its sheer heartbreaking awfulness. .

Israeli Rightists use this as a cover to intensify and protract Palestinian statelessness and Third World powerlessness and despair and Occupation — and police and army arrests and imprisonments and home demolitions and refusals of building permits– and private settler hate and violence.

And again: What a contemptible excuse for Netanyahu’s demagogic demonization and beating up and kicking at the Third World guy who’s already occupied and down.

But again an unforgivable atrocity– as so much on both sides is unforgivable inexcusable — and by far the most important thing now –and beyond politics – is to hope these teens are returned home safe and whole and sound and soon–ASAP.

And as a parent my heart goes out even more to them, and to their families facing this nightmare– and a fear beyond words that it could get unspeakably worse. Also as a parent I also have to ask what parents would let  them hitchhike alone, and at night, in illegally settled and occupied land?

As a parent it would seem insanity to let them go out – and at night —  into such harm’s way. And what is the Israeli government doing by sending  its innocent civilians, as illegal settlers into an invaded and hence hostile occupied territory and especially unconscionably put at risk its own kids?

Of course the Palestinian terrorist abduction of such innocent teens who are illegal settlers through absolutely no fault of their own, is even a billionfold times further unconscionable.

As a fellow parent I feel deep anger at the government allowing young people to be made to live in such harm’s way, and but a billionfold deeper anger at their abductors who are committing such harm that constitutes a war crime and atrocity — and an aggravated atrocity since against the innocent.

Their ordeal of the teens — and of their families–is beyond words. We hope to God for their quick and safe return – and especially may God forbid anything even worse befall them. God bless the IDF’s and all Israel’s search and rescue efforts.

And Israel’s government –  which has so let these innocents down by putting them at risk on illegally settler-invaded land – needs to cease its occupation and stop the settlement expansion and search much more genuinely and vigorously and sincerely for compromise and peace.

So that such abductions – and again may God forbid this one becoming unthinkably worse — will never, ever, happen again.

And may these most unconscionably evil — yes, pure evil — abductors be taken and receive their fullest measure of implacable justice.

And may extremists on all sides stop doing harm to their fellow human beings, stop preventing peace and justice, and stop preventing the well-known precedent of truth and reconciliation, between river and sea.