Complete with a new banner, a stage, rows of pickup trucks, and terrorists in full Hamas gear—all carefully orchestrated and choreographed by none other than Qatar’s Al Jazeera.
NEVER AGAIN IS NOW
(ILTV)
But the PR stunt backfired as the three Israeli hostages—Or Levy, Eli Sharabi, and Ohad Ben Ami—exited the Hamas vehicle and were paraded on stage. The world was shocked to see the three men—emaciated, shells of their former selves.
It was a stark reminder of the cruelty, savagery, and evil that is Hamas—images reminiscent of the darkest days in human history.
And while the world had pledged “Never Again,” these images, these men, prove it has utterly failed to uphold that promise.
And while most of the world was truly shocked, there were those who sought to downplay these crimes against humanity.
CNN and the BBC—once respectable news organizations—the BBC actually referred to "both sides' hostages," and CNN stated that Palestinian prisoners sometimes look emaciated too.
Really?
First of all—let’s be clear. Palestinian prisoners are convicted criminals. They have had trials. They have had due process. They regularly receive visits from the Red Cross. They have access to medical care and full, nutritious meals every single day.
It is deeply concerning that a news outlet cannot tell the difference between good and evil, between terrorists and convicted felons who have raped and murdered, and the innocent civilians who were literally dragged out of their beds in their underwear on a Saturday morning, a holiday, their families murdered.
These headlines, and any attempts to draw a moral equivalence between terrorists and Israeli civilians, only play into Hamas’s PR stunts and enable scenes like the one on Saturday to unfold.
It props up a terrorist group that carried out one of the most barbaric massacres in modern history.
So, good job to the CNN and BBC editors who thought these were balanced headlines.
And they are not alone. In fact, they’re in good company. How can we not mention the International Red Cross, the United Nations, and so many so-called human rights organizations that have not said a single word about the hostages?
The Red Cross—other than transporting the hostages from point A to point B and fully participating in Hamas’s PR show—has not visited a single hostage in nearly 16 months.
The United Nations—the international organization that was supposed to ensure "Never Again"—has yet to condemn Hamas. Instead, it continually tries to draw some sort of moral equivalence between innocent Israeli hostages and a brutal terrorist organization. The UN, perhaps more than any agency, supports and enables Hamas and scenes like the one on Saturday.
So the fact that all these organizations are still trying to "both sides" it is outrageous and extremely dangerous. All they are doing is empowering Hamas and allowing their evil ideology to spread unchecked throughout the world.
And everyone with a basic sense of morality and a basic sense of right vs. wrong should speak up. It’s time to put a stop to this ridiculous show and bring home all the hostages now—before it is too late.
Never Again is now.