Schumer Statement on Kidnapping of Three Boys in Israel

Statement

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called for the immediate release of the three teenage boys who went missing in Israel's West Bank last Thursday. One of the boys, Naftali Frenkel, is a dual citizen of Israel and the United States. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated his belief that the kidnappings were perpetrated by Hamas. With the Palestinian Authority backed by Hamas, Schumer today said that the Palestinian government must first denounce this kidnapping and must demand from Hamas that the boys be released and returned home safely.

"My prayers are with the three young men kidnapped in Israel, including Naftali Frenkel, who is an American citizen; as a parent, I can't begin to imagine what their families are going through. It is essential that the Palestinian government first, denounce this horrible act, and second demand from Hamas that the boys be immediately released. We will continue keep the heat on our government, and do all we can to bring pressure to bear on the Palestinian Authority until we get a positive resolution of this situation."

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