The outpouring of grief and support has been tremendous. Since the tragic news hit on Monday, that the bodies of the three kidnapped boys had been recovered north of Hebron, the words and thoughts immediately began to flow.
Many people at the funeral, as well as observers both before and after, commented on how, somehow, the kidnapping of these three innocent teenagers managed to touch the soul of every Israeli and every Jew worldwide. To cross every divide and fuse people together.
The words of this public and collective mourning are so heartfelt, we decided to simply gather some of the comments posted on our Facebook page, as well as from public leaders, and post them here.
Eyal, Gil-Ad and Naftali, rest in peace. Know that you succeeded to do what most people dare to dream of: unite a nation.
IJN Facebook followers respond to the breaking news:
See the full IJN Facebook posting
…And more comments from IJN Facebook followers on our photo from the Rabin Square gathering:
See the full IJN Facebook posting
President Obama, who didn’t make an official comment during the kidnapping, did issue a public statement after the boys were discovered dead. His words voiced the thoughts of parents worldwide: “As a father, I cannot imagine the indescribable pain that the parents of these teenage boys are experiencing.”
Other world leaders, including from our northern neighbours (Canada) and those across the pond (UK), did better, with the prime ministers tweeting their followers directly:
Sickened by the news of three Israeli teenagers being found murdered near Hebron. Those responsible must be brought to justice. #cdnpoli
— Stephen Harper (@pmharper) June 30, 2014
I’m saddened by the news that the bodies of 3 kidnapped Israeli boys have been found. This was an appalling and inexcusable act of terror.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) June 30, 2014
The only Israeli playing in the NBA also publicly expressed his condolences:
I can not Imagine the pain that the families of feel. It’s an unspeakable tragedy and my heart breaks… http://t.co/HTQBtd9aLD
— Omri Casspi (@Casspi18) June 30, 2014
To close, a beautiful sentiment from President Shimon Peres, expressing perfectly the impact of Eyal, Gil-Ad and Naftali on Am Yisrael:
#EyalGiladNaftali exposed the depth of our people and the heights it can reach.
— PresidentPeres (@PresidentPeres) July 1, 2014
