Because of the hate propaganda

 Nadav Shragai

The Palestinians see kidnappings as a weapon that tips the balance in their favor. They have been talking about it openly and in secret for years, and making attempts. They try to kidnap Israelis all the time: In the past three years, more than 80 Palestinian kidnapping attempts have been foiled. Many of them targeted civilians. Last year alone (2013) saw 52 such attempts. The recent diplomatic "steps" -- and most of all the Gilad Schalit deal and the ones that preceded it -- and the release of hundreds of hard-core terrorists, including murderers, have only whetted their appetite.

The way the Palestinians see it, freeing prisoners as part of one deal leads the way to the next kidnapping. Ahmed Jabari, head of the armed wing of Hamas who was targeted and killed at the beginning of Operation Pillar of Defense, discussed this in public and promised to continue kidnapping soldiers and officers. Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Mashaal has also said openly that "the resistance that captured Gilad Schalit can capture more and more Schalits, until not one prisoner remains in the enemy's jails."

The terrorists themselves talk about it. Wafa al-Bass, who tried to blow herself up at the Erez Crossing in June 2005, called on Palestinians to "kidnap another Gilad Schalit every year." Nasser Yatimah, who was freed in the Schalit deal and was involved in operating the suicide bomber who attacked the Park Hotel in Netanya, also declared that prisoners would be only be freed by force. Some of the ones freed in exchange for Schalit were not satisfied with talking; they also tried to plan and carry out kidnappings. Some of the recently thwarted attempts were planned inside prisons, by prisoners who belonged to both Fatah and Hamas.

The security establishment of the Palestinian Authority and PA Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas are left to cluck their tongues, and maybe cooperate with the army and the Shin Bet security agency as they try to find the kidnapped boys. But the atmosphere in the PA and in Hamas is one that encourages terrorism, speaks of the coming end of the Jewish state, lionizes the suicide martyrs and sees them as a model, and even denies the existence of Israel.

The boys' kidnappers, who came from Palestinian Authority territory, were exposed -- like tens of thousands of other young people -- to this slanderous, hateful propaganda, which gives another dimension to the PA's not-at-all abstract responsibility for the three boys' safety.