They exchanged text messages and emojis. Brief status updates with words of encouragement. A picture of the beloved family dog “Tutsi.”
Until no more messages came.
And then, Cindy Flash, an American, and her Israeli husband Igal vanished into the violence, presumed kidnapped by Hamas.
Four days after Hamas attacked Israel, more than 100 Israelis and potentially dozens of foreign nationals are thought to be held captive in the Gaza Strip. At least 14 U.S. citizens have been killed and an unknown number are still unaccounted for.
Flash, 67, originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, is one of them. She lives in Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in southern Israel near Gaza, where some of the most harrowing and grisly stories have been emerging during the last few days.
“They are breaking down the safe room door,” Flash said in one of her final messages to her daughter Keren, 34. “We need someone to come by the house right now.” She had been communicating with her parents from a few houses away.
Keren described her mother, who worked as an administrator in a local college, as someone who had the “sweetest biggest heart,” who everyone knew and loved, and who had spent a lifetime advocating for the rights of Palestinians, including those who live in Gaza where she may now be held.
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Helping “bad people”? There’s nothing inherently more bad about Palestinians than any other nationality.
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Was she supporting Hamas, or the Palestinian people?
Do you understand the difference between the two?
I’m not sure, could you elaborate?
It’s like saying you love the US and someone asks why you love the KKK
That someone would be creating a strawman.
The KKK is not the ruling government of the US. The KKK has next to nothing for popular support. The KKK does not claim to be working in the best interests of all Americans.
Fair, but then let’s replace KKK with the Republican party
Would that not be a fair question if the KKK had been the democratically elected, ruling party in the U.S. going on two decades now? E.G. asking a german in the early 1940’s why they love the Nazis?
Then let’s replace KKK with the Republican party
They’re way ahead of ya.
Huh?
Doesn’t really matter. The people largely and enthusiasticly support Hamas. Have we not learned this lesson from Russia and China and every other authoritarian state? They will have to be literally reprogrammed similar to the denazification of Germany.
You are just talking out your ass…
The Palestinian people are just like us. Most of them just want to exist in peace.
I thought Conan did a good job humanizing the very real Palestinians who are regular, peaceful individuals.
In the full episode, he goes around a market telling people their prices are “bullshit” as a ‘negotiation technique’ and they reacted better than many of my fellow Americans would have.
Yeah, and people are stupid, easily manipulated, and forged by their environment and religion. We aren’t special, we’re just rich and live in nations whose cultures are organized in part to stomp out hate.
I’m sure there are good people in Palestine who are truly opposed to the idea of purging the Jews. I’m also sure they’re a minority.
But if you want to be all empathetic and go help the Palestinian people…
You’ll be kidnapped and possibly killed because you don’t align with their fantasy sky God.
You seem very sure of things you know little about. Blatantly jumping to conclusions.
Lady was literally kidnapped and recent polls show rising support for Hamas, above 50 percent. You should recognize a grape as a grape.