By KHALED ABU TOAMEH, JPOST—
The Palestinian unity government on Sunday condemned Israel for arresting more than 100 Hamas and Islamic Jihad members in the West Bank in response to the Thursday kidnapping of three Israeli youths.
The government also condemned Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip in response to the firing of rockets at Israel in the past few days.
He called on the international community to intervene and demand that Israel halt its latest measures, including the siege on Hebron and its refusal to allow families of prisoners held in Israel to visit their sons.
The PLO leadership condemned Israel for holding the PA responsible for the safety of the three Israeli youths who were kidnapped in the West Bank.
“The Israeli government can’t hold the Palestinians responsible for security in occupied territories,” the spokesman said, referring to Area C of the West Bank, where the three boys were kidnapped from, and which is under Israeli security control.
A statement published by the PLO Executive Committee, following a meeting in Ramallah chaired by PA President Mahmoud Abbas, accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of waging a “racist campaign” against the Palestinians.
The statement said that Netanyahu’s “false allegations” were intended to cover up for Israel’s failure to prevent the kidnapping, and condemned it for imposing “collective punishment” on the Palestinians, especially in the Hebron area, as part of efforts to locate the kidnapped youths.
The PA Foreign Ministry denounced the latest Israeli security measures in the West Bank, including the arrest of Hamas and Islamic Jihad members and officials.
The ministry said that Netanyahu alone bears responsibility for the “terrorist and hostile actions of his settlers,” and that Israel’s “arrogance” would soon make it face “international accountability.”
Palestinian sources said that the IDF arrested on Saturday night 113 Hamas and Islamic Jihad members and officials in the West Bank.
Among those arrested were several Hamas legislators, including Hassan Youssef, Mohammed Totah, Ibrahim Abu Salem, Fadel Hamdan and Hassan Bourini.
Anex Samaria and Judea, it is given by the All mighty in a miraculous way to the Jewish people. May in the same way the boys be returned. Turn to your God and Father in heaven, you can not fight satan, only He can, but you must stand with Him. We are with you in prayers and pleading to Him. Turn to Him with all your heart…prov, 3:3-6.
If Fatah and Hamas can kidnap Jews in Israel or Israel-controlled territories then so can Israel arrest Hamas and Fatah members from Fatah and Hamas controlled territories. Israel doesn’t need to arrest hundreds of Hamas and Fatah members. What Israel can do is make a declaration that from now on for every Jew kidnapped 10 Hamas and Fatah members will be randomly arrested. The ratio is 10 to 1. And these Arab members will never be released until the kidnapped Jew is released; ratio 10 to 1. If the Jew is returned dead then the 10 Arabs will be executed on the spot and returned dead. 1 live Jew for 10 live Arabs or 1 dead Jew for 10 dead Arabs. The choice is Fatah’s and Hamas’. It might seem a little extreme but these Arabs live in fantasy land and a bit of extremism might bring them to their senses.