Remember Aya, Mayar and Bessan

From Richard Silverstein:

Shortly after the shells hit their mark, Dr. Abu-Laish called Channel 10 begging for help. His cries, a father’s helpless cries live on the air are enough to rend the flesh and break the heart. For me, the Abu-Laish daughters should’ve been the Neda Aga Soltans of the Gaza war. The fact that they weren’t, but were rather a footnote and bit of collateral damage testifies to the hardened hearts of Israelis innured to 42 years of Palestinian (and Israeli) suffering and Occupation.

Dr. Abu-Laish has always been devoted to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He remains so, despite the bitterness of losing his three innocent children to an Israeli tank shell. Their death should shame every Israeli who does not do enough to oppose the policies that created that war.

A website memorializing Dr. Abu Laish’s children is a magnificent offering to anyone touched, horrified, or heartbroken by this story, as I was when I first saw the video footage of his call to newscaster Shlomi Eldar.