Casey Babb
From the running "Napalm Girl" of the Vietnam War to Anne Frank and the Holocaust, children often come to symbolize the worst of human pain and suffering. The Bibas brothers—4-year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kfir—two red-headed boys who were kidnapped along with their parents on Oct. 7, 2023, must now be added to this list.
For more than 500 days, Israelis, Jews in the diaspora, and decent people around the world have anxiously prayed for their safe return—only to find out that they were likely killed many months ago—their remains along with the body of their mother Shiri returned to Israel on Feb. 20by Hamas. And while shockwaves of grief reverberate around the globe, this loss may have an impact on Israel and the broader Middle East that is felt forever. Indeed, it is likely that the "two-state solution" hasn't just been paused—it died with the Bibas brothers and their mother in the tunnels of Gaza.
For Israel—where the country's once vibrant peacenik community has rapidly dissolved since Oct. 7—the killing of the Bibas boys is likely the nail in the coffin. Even before their deaths were confirmed, some Israelis had already expressed there was "...no peace on the horizon," while others stated more explicitly they no longer believe peace with the Palestinians is attainable. Underscoring the dwindling prospect of an end to the conflict, a recent survey found that nearly 90 percent of Israelis don't believe Palestinians can be trusted. Now, with confirmation that the Bibas boys are dead, Israeli society will no doubt harden even further, making any idea of reconciliation and peace with the Palestinians all the more unpalatable.
No comments:
Post a Comment