Israel to Treat Alleged Killers of Palestinian Child as Terrorists

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Sun Jul 06, 2014 at 06:02:01 PM EST
Tags: Israel, Fraenkel, Abu Khdeir (all tags)

Share This: Digg!

Israel's Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon, today said the alleged kidnappers and killers of Palestinian teen, Muhammed Abu Khdeir, believed to be Jewish extremists, will be treated as harshly as Arab terrorists. Six are under arrest for the murder.

“These debased murderers don’t represent the Jewish people or its values, and they must be treated as terrorists,” the defense minister said. “We will not allow Jewish terrorists from our midst to disrupt the fabric of the many different communities in the state of Israel, and to harm innocents just because they are Arabs.” ...“We must battle the perpetrators [of such actions], and those who deploy them, with an iron fist.”

If a Jew kills they will be put to the court like any other criminal. There is no privilege, the law is equal to all and all are equal before the law. On that there is no compromise. We do not distinguish between blood and blood. The murder of a child is reprehensible, regardless of the religion or nationality of the child. It is our responsibility to secure life and to punish those who take it away from others.”

Israeli President Shimon Press said:[More...]

If a Jew kills they will be put to the court like any other criminal. There is no privilege, the law is equal to all and all are equal before the law. On that there is no compromise. We do not distinguish between blood and blood. The murder of a child is reprehensible, regardless of the religion or nationality of the child. It is our responsibility to secure life and to punish those who take it away from others.”

Education Minister Shay Piron said:

[The murder is] “an attack on the heart of Israeliness…the personification of evil and an attack on our very humanity.”

Piron urged that “the murderers’ fate be the fate of child murderers everywhere,” and vowed that the “education system will work to deepen the discourse of mutual respect and fight against incitement, hatred and racism.”

Former Israeli Defense Minister MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) said:

[The murder is] “a terrible crime, a shame and a disgrace to Judaism and Jews.” ...Jews “are taught to sanctify life, compassion and mercy. We are commanded to be a light onto the nations. The thought that an innocent youth was cruelly burned, while still alive, cleaves our hearts.”... “The State of Israel must bring justice to these murderers. And we, its citizens, must teach our children and grandchildren to be good human beings.”

Yishai Fraenkel, the uncle of Naftali Fraenkel, the Israeli teen killed last week, allegedly by Hamas extremists, telephoned the parents of the slain Palestinian teen to offer condolences.

“We expressed our deep empathy with their sorrow, from one bereaved family to another bereaved family,” Yishai Fraenkel said, according to the Ynet news website. “I think it’s very good they seem to have found the culprits. We expressed our absolute disgust with what had happened. He accepted our statements, it was important for him to hear it.”

Fraenkel added that “there is no difference between those who murdered Muhammed, and those who murdered our children. Those are murderers, and these are murderers. And both must be dealt with to the full extent of the law, and we told him that.”

The Fraenkels also received a condolence visit at their home from two Palestinians.

< ISIS Releases Glossy New Recruitment Magazine | Pistorius Expert Provides Media With Work Done for Defense >

Legal

Nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice. TalkLeft does not give legal advice.

TalkLeft is not responsible for and often disagrees with material posted in the comments section. Read at your own risk.

Israel to Treat Alleged Killers of Palestinian Child as Terrorists | 26 comments (26 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

Where are the bulldozers? (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by Michael Masinter on Mon Jul 07, 2014 at 08:10:17 PM EST

Israel bulldozes the houses of suspected terrorists long before any judicial proceedings to adjudicate their responsibility take place, and rounds up hundreds of their associates for questioning.

There is no equivalence here; that's not to exonerate Palestinian terrorists, it's just to acknowledge that justice for occupiers and justice for the occupied have very different meanings.

Doesn't seen to be a lot of reporting (none / 0) (#1)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 07, 2014 at 09:23:01 AM EST

On this except fringe media. This is from the UK.

Israeli teenagers' funeral: It is obscene when either side kills children - not only Palestinians
In the end it's all about the colonies Israel is building on Arab land

Wonderful article, Capt. (none / 0) (#2)
by jimakaPPJ on Mon Jul 07, 2014 at 01:44:34 PM EST

Except I can't find anything in it about those rockets that the terrorists launch regularly against Israel.

I wonder why.

I mean it happens.

Did they forget?

And that state the writer writes about... I collect old coins... Can you get me one from Palestine before the terrible Israelis took it over and immediately attacked the Islamic states around them??


Jim, you might want to (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by Zorba on Mon Jul 07, 2014 at 03:02:39 PM EST

look at the numbers.

Of those killed in the conflict, 4,228 have been Palestinians, 1,024 Israelis, and 63 foreign citizens. For every person killed, approximately seven were also injured. 3/
As shown in Graph I,the total number of Israelis,both civilians and Israeli Defence Force (IDF) combatants, killed by Palestinian armed groups and individuals, is declining.
In contrast the total number of Palestinians, both civilians and combatants killed by the Israeli security forces or Israeli individuals, remains relatively high. In 2007, for example, for every one Israeli death there were 25 Palestinian deaths compared to 2002 when the ratio was 1:2.5.

UNOCHA.

Any civilian deaths are horrible and deplorable. But Israel's hands are also not free of blood.


What your numbers show is that (2.00 / 1) (#4)
by jimakaPPJ on Mon Jul 07, 2014 at 05:28:06 PM EST

Israelis have more effective weapons.

So???

They are facing a huge disparity in numbers of people. They had better have more effective weapons.

I have never been in favor of reciprocity in killing. My theory is avoid avoid avoid but when it is clear a fight can't be avoided kill as many as possible as fast as possible using every weapon you have.

Blood on their hands?? If their enemies hadn't attacked the day after they became a country and if they hadn't done it again and again that might be meaningful. Given the Palestinians, and their allies, record I have no problem.

Israel has said they will give equal justice to the killers.

And where are the killers of the three kidnapped teenagers??

Let me know when they are arrested.


If they can't find the kidnappers (5.00 / 4) (#5)
by jondee on Mon Jul 07, 2014 at 05:48:26 PM EST

they'll just bulldoze a few family's homes and fields and allow a few hundred more End Times lunatics to settle in the Occupied Territories. All in the interest of keeping the peace.


No doubt (5.00 / 1) (#22)
by Yman on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 06:40:27 PM EST

Including innocents. Oh, well ... they were in the way.

Oops!

BTW -

My theory is avoid avoid avoid but when it is clear a fight can't be avoided kill as many as possible as fast as possible using every weapon you have.

Have "you" done any killing, or is this the royal "you" - as in - I have no problems sending others to do the killing.


: Shame on you Yman (5.00 / 1) (#24)
by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 09, 2014 at 02:22:17 PM EST

He didn't just kill potatoes, he smashed them until they were unrecognizable :)

Palestinian Authority (none / 0) (#7)
by thomas rogan on Mon Jul 07, 2014 at 10:57:53 PM EST

Do you think that the Palestinian Authority will ever catch the people who kidnapped and killed the three Jews? In the unlikely event that they do, do you think that they will ever be convicted of anything? Reminds me of how the Pakistanis never really captured Osama Bin Laden.

Of course they wouldn't (none / 0) (#8)
by Slado on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 12:01:07 PM EST

And many who are anti Israel or "pro" Palestinian will not acknowledge as much because the realities of this relationship are uncomfortable.

Palestinians refuse to loose

No one can or should argue that Israel is blameless in this ongoing war but to act like they aren't the only reasonable party in this ongoing struggle is what's mystifying to me.

The reason people choose to deny this reality is because accepting it means you have to accept the reality that this conflict can't end because the Palestinians can never achieve their objective.

Namely to remove Israel from the face of the earth. Since as the link points out they have neither the military might or abilities to do such on we go. Israel reacts and over reacts to Palestinian aggression and the cycle of violence continues even though Israel restrains itself from doing all it could do to it's neighbor.

Does anyone doubt that if Palestinians accepted their fate and stopped antagonizing Israel that this would end?

The problem is people don't like the way it would end. It's not "fair". So on we go.

Circling around the same impossible outcome that will never happen because Israel has won and the Palestinians and the people who support them can't accept it.


I always wanted (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 12:23:08 PM EST

A reasonable explanation of the "settlements". What possible effect could these have other than provocation?
Its a serious question. I have never heard a pro Israel (and I'm not saying you are, it's just a quesition) argument for why they are acceptable or really any real justification other than we do it because we can.

Any help understanding this is appreciated. ( almost)


I agree these are problomatic (none / 0) (#18)
by Slado on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 04:26:10 PM EST

That is why I say Israel is not blameless.

They have put up a fence (questionable) and either encouraged or not discouraged enough radical settlements in Palestinian territory.

However none of that IMHO excuses the indiscriminate terrorism and tactics of Hamas and the PLO over the years and the simple reality that between the two parties one searches for some sort of peace while the other tries to annihilate the other one.

It's just not the same and to blame Israel or hold them more responsible then the Palestinians is simply moral relativism.

There's a reason this has been going on for 60 years. One could argue that Israel shouldn't even be there but that ship has sailed and not holding the two parties to an equal level of responsibility in terms of what we're dealing with wastes everyone's time.

I think this president as other Americans wants the easy way out which is to make Israel give away things for nothing in return. Which by the way Clinton almost did before Arafat blew it up.

Time to deal with reality and again IMHO the Palestinians aren't living in it.


: Maybe the Palestinians (none / 0) (#20)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 05:38:14 PM EST

Are just used to taking the long view.

: Agree with some of that (none / 0) (#21)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 05:39:53 PM EST

Whatever the reason it's clear neither side wants peace very much. Or maybe just gave up on it.

Doubt? (5.00 / 2) (#10)
by squeaky on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 12:57:24 PM EST

Their fate? What did you have in mind.. and anything in your mind short of annihilation, I seriously doubt that accepting their fate (your words) would have any effect on the violence.

Israel does not want peace.

Haaretz

I think it has to do with demographics, as do many, but some dispute that.


Looks like if the Palestinians accepted (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by oculus on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 01:27:09 PM EST

their "fate" they would eternally exist only at the mercy of the Israeli government.


And, what would (none / 0) (#12)
by NYShooter on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 02:06:14 PM EST

Israel's "fate" be if it was left to the mercy of Hamas & the Palestinians?

It's interesting how Slado's use of the term, "fate," was accepted by you, and, others, as being something nefarious. I'm quite certain he meant their "fate" to be that they will not get their ultimate wish of annihilating Israel, and, its inhabitants, from this earth......permanently.

And, their "fate" would be, having to learn how to accept Israel's right to exist, and, to sit down (in good faith) with the Israelis, and, negotiate a just, lasting, and, enforceable peace agreement.

And, imo, making flippant, biased, and, uninformed comments about a subject so fundamentally important is not helpful


"the Palestinians" (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by jondee on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 02:27:09 PM EST

in the all-encompassing abstract, don't want to annihilate Israel anymore than "the Israelis" all want to cleanse the land and sacrifice a red heifer on the Temple Mount for the purposes of accomplishing the Biblical "Greater Israel".

How about we don't demonize giant swathes of people on one side or the other? What a concept.


Far, far from flippant. (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by oculus on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 02:31:53 PM EST

I don't believe every current resident of the West Bank and Gaza wants to obliterate Israel. I do belive they are entitled tl live and work in more humane conditions.


: "My people.." (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by jondee on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 02:57:55 PM EST

I've always liked what Duke Ellington said when someone asked him if he wrote music for "his people": "My people? You mean the ones who like to drink a glass of good wine and watch the sun set? The ones who love the sound of children's laughter? Those people?"

My point exactly (none / 0) (#16)
by Slado on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 03:27:43 PM EST

As the link shows the Palestinians have been fighting to retake what is now Israel for decades.

They haven't pulled it off.

I quote Abbas himself..the moderate mind you...

Abbas also said he would like to see a future Palestinian state based on 1967 borders "with some adjustments." East Jerusalem would be the capital, and there would be some Palestinian control over borders and airspace.

So you loose a war that you started, don't like the outcome and your negotiating position I don't recognize you exist and I want the land you took because we attacked you back.

Yes. Perfectly reasonable.


So the human beings who exist (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by jondee on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 03:36:25 PM EST

today should be made to suffer for what happened decades ago? to the point where they aren't even allowed to own the water rights on their own land? Land which, by the way, could be taken away at any time to make room for the only people with an officially recognized "the Right of Return"?


No (none / 0) (#19)
by Slado on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 04:36:21 PM EST

But nothing good is going to happen as long as a majority, minority or whatever percentage continues to attack Israel with rockets that have no military purpose other then to provoke continued conflict.

I will ask you. Why does Hamas fire rockets into Israel?

Is it to help it's people?

Does it defeat Israel and achieve some sort of military objective when it fires them in there?

Do you simply not care what happens to Israeli's that have to live under the constant threat of indiscriminate missile attacks?

IMHO it is an act of terrorism and Israel is forced to react with military action to stop the rockets from raining down on their country.

It's just unbelievable that we'd get all worked up about what Israel is doing when it's neighbor sends missiles down on their population indiscriminately.


: "raining down" (none / 0) (#25)
by jondee on Thu Jul 10, 2014 at 10:49:26 AM EST

is the warmed-over, lurid descriptive used these days. Just as "drive us into the sea" was a few years ago..
Exactly how many Israelis in the last few years have actually been injured by these rockets "raining down" when compared to the number of non-terrorist killed and maimed Gaza and West Bank residents?

"Namely to remove Israel... (none / 0) (#23)
by unitron on Tue Jul 08, 2014 at 09:44:44 PM EST

...from the face of the earth."

If Israel got moved to someplace without any existing inhabitants to dispossess, and the Palestinians got Palestine back, I expect most of them would be content to leave Israel alone.


: I'd love to have them all here (none / 0) (#26)
by jondee on Thu Jul 10, 2014 at 10:54:43 AM EST

we could use the brain power and the lively sense of irony.
Of course the American Right adores the Israelis as long as they stay thousands of miles away and serve as some sort of bizarre, metaphysical magnet to force Jesus to come back to Earth -- and send all the Jews, Muslims, Buddhists etc to Hell.