Once in a While the True Victims Strike Back

Too bad the world seems to think the "kidnapped" young man was a civilian. Fact is- he is a prisoner of war. He was part of the IDF sitting outside of the Gaza Strip pounding her with shells days and night for weeks and killing innocent civilians day after day. He is a prisoner of war....just as surly as every Palestinian who has been taken by force from his home and neighborhood area.

The IDF was amassed for days and even weeks on these borders enforcing blockades of food and Medicines. Inhibiting the moving of the people. Disturbing sleep for weeks on end....day and night destroying cows and roads, and now bridges and power plants, government offices and training camps, and mothers and babies.

He was a part of a tank crew doing this. He was fair game for a daring comando raid to fight for the families being killed each day. It was a gutsy defense move. But it is being milked for all it's worth by the perennial victim, Israel. Forget what they have been doing for the past 59 years, or 38 years, or even the last weeks. Forget they were poised to enter Gaza and have been threatening for weeks. Forget this was a soldier who's being dishonored and talked about like he was a civilian kidnapped off the street in some Israeli city instead of from his post in a war zone, enforcing an illegal occupation, and aiding in the suffering, malnutrition, and death of many inside of Gaza Strip.

The Israeli's and the media are dishonoring a military man. Yes at 19 he is a military man. If you don't like that, then stop using young people from all over the world as soldiers in war that is really older than they are. He is a prisoner of war. He is not a kidnap victim unless every Palestinian is also a kidnap victim from the illegal occupation forces they are trying to defend their people against. That means about 1/4 of all Palestinians for the last 59 years have been kidnap victims plus cold blooded murder victims above that. The current government officials kidnapped from their homes and off the street are terror victims. Victims of Israeli terror stealing their land and killing their families for several generations now.

It is time to start calling it like it is. It is Israel who has been breaking international law. It is Israel who steals land and has never set her borders so she can keep stealing more land. It is Israel who holds in excess of 7,000 Palestinians in her well known terror institutions where torture is practiced with impunity. Hundreds of these prisoners are women and children.

Isn't it about time to tell it like it is and stop embarassing a young military man by calling him a victim. He is a soldier in a war. Being taken prisoner is always a possability in that position. I do feel bad for him and his family. It is terrifying. But it is a logical consequence of being in an army working to destroy an entire civilian population who has lived under the terror of occupation and suffering for 59 years.

This is the logical price of occupation and war. He is a prisoner of war. Don't demean him. Call it what it is. He is a soldier and as such he knew his life and liberty were always on the line. Every Palestinian knows that position well. It is time for Israel to know and admit this is how it is in war. They endanger their youth. They kill their neighbors and cousins. They steal land. They terrorise civilians and little children.

And once in a while the true victims strike back.

Mary Ethridge clergylady2 @ juno.com

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