| With the announcement today by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the kidnapping of 3 Israeli teenagers in Gush Etzion was carriedout by Hamas, the Simon “With this attack, Hamas is sending a clear message to the world saying do not believe President Mahmoud Abbas when he says thatthe unity government is made up of technocrats dressed in suits. The message of the kidnappers is crystal clear: We have not changed our uniforms at all - we were terroristsyesterday, we are terrorists today, and we will remain terrorists until there is no Israel,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founder and Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. “The US message should be equally as clear: we will never engage with terrorists,” Hier concluded.Hamas’ military wing has praised the kidnapping while a Hamas official criticized the Palestinian Authority security forces forcarrying out arrests in an effort to find the kidnapped teenagers. For more information contact the Center's Public Relations Department at 310.553.9036, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter page or mobile device. The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 members. It is anNGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament. |