http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2 ... /12363495/
" Israel forcefully and immediately condemned those responsible for the murder of the innocent Palestinian boy, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to hold them accountable, calling it an "abominable murder." Israeli media outlets all expressed outrage, condemnation and sympathy.
This stands in stark contrast to the Palestinians reaction to the kidnapping and killing of the Jewish boys.
Hamas, a member of the Palestinian parliament, said those that kidnapped the Israeli teens were 'heroes' and should be praised. They offered no condemnation. No sympathy. While Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas condemned the kidnappings (and the Israeli response), the Palestinian Authority's official Facebook released cartoons glorifying the kidnapping, depicting the Jewish teens as rats caught on fishing hooks.
The murderers of the Israeli boys are still at large — whereas the Israeli authorities have already captured and condemned the suspects responsible for murdering the Palestinian boy.
The reaction is as important as the act itself because the reaction sets the tone for what society deems acceptable. If murder is praised, accepted and glorified, more will murder. When a crime is committed, society should be outraged equally. Overlooking the reaction is a mistake.
Equating the stories of the three Israeli boys' abduction and murder with the murder of the Palestinian boy is misguided. The fact is that that both were innocent teens murdered in cold blood. But the stories are different because the reactions to their deaths were so different.
Society cannot always control how individuals will behave. Extremists will lash out and commit crimes on both sides. But the reaction must always be universal condemnation and prosecution.
Israel universally condemned the terrorists responsible for the murder of an innocent Palestinian youth, while its neighbors, especially Hamas, not only didn't condemn but also, celebrated the murder of three Jewish teens. This is what sets apart these two tragic stories of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
No further comment is necessary.
