UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson angered Israelis by saying the UN has no evidence that the kidnapping of three Israeli boys had actually occurred.
The mothers of the three kidnapped Jewish teenagers seen after speaking to press outside the home Naftali Frankel, one of the abducted teens. (Photo: Yossi Zeliger/FLASH90)
Farhan Haq, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said on Tuesday that the United Nations has no “concrete evidence” that three missing Israeli youths – Eyal Yifrah, Naftali Frankel and Gilad Sha’ar – were kidnapped.
Haq’s statement was seemingly in response to a plea earlier that day from Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor for a meaningful course of action regarding this crisis as well as a letter drafted Monday by Member of Kensset Orly Levi-Abekasis demanding immediate assistance in rescuing the Israeli teens.
“The abduction constitutes a profound infringement of conventions and a blatant violation of the right of Israeli children to lead a peaceful, unthreatened life,” the letter to Ban Ki-moon stated. “These are not soldiers, nor were they engaged in battle – they are three young adolescents who should have been dividing their time between preparation for their final exams and their family circle.
“As the head of the United Nations, I sincerely hope you will act in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.”
Ban Ki-moon Equates Kidnapping with Air Strikes on Gaza
On Saturday, Ban Ki-moon equated the abduction of innocent Jewish children to Israel’s air strikes in Hamas-run Gaza, from where hundreds of rockets have been fired continuously into southern Israel, aiming at civilians. The UN chief expressed “deep concern on the trend toward violence on the ground and attendant loss of life, including today of a child in Gaza as a result of a recent Israeli airstrike.”
Calling on the Security Council and the international community on Tuesday to “unequivocally condemn the kidnapping and ensure that the boys return home to their families,” Prosor said:
“I ask the international community: Where are you?”
Since Thursday evening, Israelis “have been holding their breath,” waiting for news about the kidnapped boys,” Prosor said, adding that the abduction took place 10 days after Fatah and Hamas had formed a unity government.
“All those who rushed to bless this marriage should look into the eyes of the heartbroken parents and take responsibility by condemning the kidnapping,” Prosor declared.
Israeli Envoy Slams Weak World Response to Abduction
He also hinted at the danger to the West in general that would result from neglecting to take the “only responsible course of action” against terror, which, he explained, means to “disarm Hamas, stop the smuggling and manufacturing of weapons and prevent rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.”
Ban Ki-moon’s claim that there is no proof of the kidnapping, notwithstanding the arrests of hundreds of Hamas terrorists by Israel over the past several days and the festive celebrations of the kidnapping in Palestinian-administered territories, outraged Israelis.
In an interview Wednesday morning with Israel Army Radio, Prosor lamented the “weak” world response to the abduction of innocent children who were on their way home from school, pointing to anti-Israel sentiment.
“Legitimate criticism [of Israeli policy] is fine and dandy, but we are not prepared to accept the delegitimization and dehumanization of the State of Israel,” Prosor stated.
Author: Atara Beck
Staff Writer/Editor, United with Israel
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