Warrensville Heights, OH- Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) released the following statement today after the bodies of three murdered Israeli teenagers were discovered in the West Bank: 

“In civilized society, we establish codes of conduct and declare what is out of bounds. Even in war, we subscribe to principles such as the Geneva Convention that govern the treatment of prisoners. Some crimes however, cross the bounds of human decency. They defy what our senses can accept. We have that reaction when children are gunned down in our streets and certainly, the kidnapping and murder of children by terrorists falls into that category.”

“As the world is aware, the terrorist organization Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 400 school girls in Nigeria in April. Since then, 219 remain unaccounted for. Moreover in recent weeks, Islamic extremists abducted more girls and women and 21 boys from villages in northeast Nigeria. The Obama Administration is providing tactical assistance to the Nigerian government and to authorities in nearby Chad and Cameroon to assist in the recovery of those innocents. Israel and other nations are also part of that humanitarian effort.

Just as Boko Haram crossed the bounds of human decency, the disappearance and murder of three teens in the West Bank - at the hands of terrorists who are too cowardly to admit their deed - goes beyond the pale.”

“For Hamas to incite Palestinians to kidnap even more Israeli children so they could be held hostage merits the world’s condemnation. I condemn their actions. Celebrating another family’s agony is reprehensible and any government, including the Palestinian Authority should work to prevent kidnappings, not in any way encourage them. In the broader political context, the harming of innocents only provokes more anger, more tension and more violence. It takes us farther away from peace.”

I join with the community in grieving over the loss of Naftali Fraenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach and keep their families in my thoughts and prayers. We are all of one mind. Stealing children and harming them for political gain is out of bounds anywhere on earth.”

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