Let's face it, our neighbors are not like us
Op-ed: Other states would have turned Abbas' wife into bargaining chip until kidnapped citizens' return.
We are suckers because we insist on treating our neighbors as if they were like us. In other words, as if they were democratic, liberal and conscientious people, rather than fanatic haters of Israel.
It's true that not all of them are like that, but many of them do act and feel that way. And we, in the meantime, go on. The different human rights organizations, those which count every house built in the territories and document every provocation by Palestinian youth against IDF soldiers – focusing, of course, only on the soldiers' response to their acts – not only support those murderers but also give them legitimization to go on.
Let's not delude ourselves. There are countries around us which would not allow themselves to be suckers like we are. If Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' wife, Umm Mazen, had undergone surgery in a hospital located in the heart of one of their main cities while their citizens were kidnapped, it's hard to believe that she would have returned home safely so fast. Why in many countries she would have quickly turned into a bargaining chip until the abducted citizens' return.
But not in Israel. Not only did we take care of Umm Mazen devotedly, but we also made sure that she would return home safe and sound. And how did Abbas thank us for this humanitarian gesture? Instead of inquiring what happened to the three young Israelis and working to secure their safe return to their families, the Palestinian Authority president kept mum for two whole days and didn't even react to the abduction.
When he decided to respond, he did it only after realizing that his silence would not be seen favorably in the world. Had he made an effort, even a small one, he may have found out what happened to the Israeli boys and exactly who is responsible for their disappearance. Who knows, he may have even succeeded in bringing them back.
It's hard to believe that Abbas is so helpless and lacks any influence in the area controlled by the authority he heads. Even if he was surprised by the abduction, he must have the tools to obtain the information about the people behind it.
But Abbas probably made no effort to do that, proving once again what we have already realized long ago: That he is not a partner for negotiations with Israel.
