The Middle East is a rough neighborhood. Methods and means that might work in the more “civilized” Western world often have the opposite effect here.
Israel’s Jews try to straddle these two worlds. But the country’s Arab and Druze communities know better.
On Wednesday morning, the body of a young Israeli Druze man was snatched from a hospital in northern Samaria after he had died following a car accident. The Palestinian gunmen who took the body of Tiran Fero hoped to trade it for those of deceased terrorists still in Israel’s hands.
On Thursday, Fero’s body was returned. The official story was that diplomatic pressure from Israel, the United States and Egypt had compelled the Palestinian Authority to in turn compel the terrorists to give up their ghastly bargaining chip.
No doubt that played a role in convincing the gunmen to stand down, as did the IDF’s threat to besiege and suffocate Jenin until the body was returned.
But local social media revealed an additional aspect to this tale.
Armed and masked members of Israel’s Druze community published a video in which they gave the Palestinians until the end of the day to return Fero’s body, or else.
As the deadline passed, the Druze men reportedly abducted at least one, and as many as four Palestinians. A Palestinian captive is seen in one of the video clips identifying himself as a laborer in the Golan Heights, and pleading with the terrorists to release Fero’s body. Should the Palestinian gunmen take any ill-advised action, the abducted men would be killed, according to the threat.
“An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. We took a traitor from you,” one of the Druze tells the Palestinians.
⭕️ Kidnapping escalation:
There is at least one kidnapped Palestinian in the hands of a Druze group (the Arabs reported on 4)
The caption says:
– “An eye for an eye. You refused to return and listen to our threats; God is our witness, we took a traitor in return” pic.twitter.com/JMVgL4rSvP— Adam Albilya (@AdamAlbilya) November 24, 2022
A post following the return of Fero’s body claimed that the Palestinian group behind the body-snatching stated that the threat of Druze violence was what brought the episode to so swift a conclusion.
The Jenin Brigade in a statement this morning:
– “The decision to hand over the body was made following the kidnapping of Palestinians by a Druze group…” pic.twitter.com/xWe3dDMzhR— Adam Albilya (@AdamAlbilya) November 24, 2022
Jewish Israeli social media users reacted to the unfolding saga by noting the flaw in their own Western-style approach. In short, making threats is meaningless unless you demonstrate a willingness to carry them out.
By comparison, the Jewish commenters pointed out that the bodies of two IDF soldiers are still being held by Hamas eight years after the Gaza conflict in which they were killed. And Fero’s body was released in 24 hours, without reciprocity.
Trending among Jewish Israelis, regarding the seeming effectiveness of the Druze community’s strategy for retrieving their loved ones out of terrorists’ possession. pic.twitter.com/duStZSfC0e
— Adam Albilya (@AdamAlbilya) November 25, 2022
Orthodox Jews join Druze demonstration
Oh, and about that “apartheid” nonsense, this business with the Druze yet again proved that the Jewish state of Israel is anything but an apartheid state.
Anyone who knows Israel knows that the Druze are valued by the Jews as “blood brothers” who serve alongside them in defense of the nation.
So for anyone in the know, it wasn’t surprising to see young ultra-Orthodox Jewish men spontaneously join a Druze demonstration demanding the return of Fero’s body.
Haredim support the Druze: Tonight on Route 6, several Haredi men spontaneously joined the Druze demonstration over the abduction of Tiran Pero’s body in Jenin. pic.twitter.com/6LFP1pGAjM
— Adam Albilya (@AdamAlbilya) November 24, 2022
In a true apartheid state would members of the dominant community have done the same for the “other”?
I am indebted to @AdamAlbilya for diligently keeping on top of what was happening on the ground.
