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How One Victim of Hamas Terrorism Responded to the Murder of an Arab Teen

Israelis and their leaders react to possible revenge killing outside Jerusalem

by
Yair Rosenberg
July 02, 2014
Israeli policemen search the area after a body of a Palestinian youth was found in Jerusalem's forest area on July 2, 2014. (MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)
Israeli policemen search the area after a body of a Palestinian youth was found in Jerusalem's forest area on July 2, 2014. (MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)

This morning, the body of 16-year-old Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir was found in a Jerusalem forest. While the perpetrators have not been identified, police are investigating whether the murder was committed in retribution for the three slain Israeli teens whose bodies were discovered earlier this week, or if it was the result of clan violence in the area.

Israelis and their leaders, however, did not wait to discover the murderers and their motives before condemning the brutal act. Prime Minister Netanyahu called it a “despicable murder” and ordered that “investigators act as quickly as possible” to find who committed the killing and why. Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat labeled the murder “a horrible and barbaric act.” Similar statements of outrage and calls for swift justice were made across the political spectrum from Justice Minister Tzipi Livni to Housing Minister Uri Ariel, while a rally against hate was organized in Jerusalem, drawing thousands of Israelis.

But one of the most powerful Israeli condemnations of the crime came not from any public official, but from a woman named Kay Wilson. After I tweeted the news this morning and expressed support for the murdered teen’s family, she responded:

@Yair_Rosenberg my heart too is with them.



— Kay Wilson (@kishkushkay) July 2, 2014

This tweet might seem unremarkable, except that Kay Wilson was stabbed 13 times by Hamas terrorists in December 2010. She suffered broken ribs, punctured lungs, a broken and dislocated shoulder, and a broken sternum. Her friend, Kristine Luken, was killed in the attack. Rather than be embittered by the experience, however, Wilson has taken it on as a charge:

@yair_rosenberg it is my privilege and my Jewish & human duty as one who has been the victim of unabated hate



— Kay Wilson (@kishkushkay) July 2, 2014

In this trying time, many can learn from her example.

Yair Rosenberg is a senior writer at Tablet. Subscribe to his newsletter, listen to his music, and follow him on Twitter and Facebook.