Israel-Palestine, "it's complicated"

Some say the Israeli-Palestinian conflict isn't too complicated. Really? Let me just explain to you how complicated the events of the last week have been.

In the wake of the kidnapping of three males, two aged 16 and another aged 19, by Palestinians with believed connections to groups as various as Al Qaeda to Fatah.

In the response, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the Palestinian Authority is responsible for the kidnapping, by virtue of the fact that Hamas is now a member of the the Palestinian unity government. before any organisation had claimed responsibility for the action and has sent the Israeli army into Ramallah (the HQ of the PA), and Hebron, the city in which the males were taken.

In the Israeli government sits various members of Arab parties including Haneen Zoabi who recently commented saying that the kidnappers "are not terrorists" and stating that while she disagreed with the kidnapping, it was a result of "Israeli War Crimes".

On the other side of the (quiet literal) fence (wall, or barrier), many media outlets have shown Palestinians, including young children have celebrated the kidnapping by holding up a three fingered sign to signify the three kidnapped males (ed note: One of the photos in this article has since been disputed, as the person has said that the photo was in support of Palestinian Arab Idol contestant Mohammad Assaf). However, at the same time Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority has repeatedly made statements condemning the kidnapping and has made several public statements telling the kidnappers to return the children.

The other kick in this tale? The children were taken while hitchhiking from a settlement in the West Bank, a territory that is highly contentious.

So in Israel, we've got the Prime Minister condemning the kidnapping, and another member of Israeli parliament saying that it's Israel's fault, while at the same time we have some Palestinians celebrating the kidnapping, at the same time that Abbas is harshly criticising the action and demanding the victims be returned.

And all of this has happened over the last few weeks. Which says nothing of the complications that have happened since the start of the conflict (something that pre-dates the existence of the State of Israel).

And that is the last thing I want to say on the kidnapping.