Md. Jewish Community Prays For Peace After Kidnap & Murder Of Teens In Israel
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Three Israeli teens were kidnapped and murdered. Now police are looking into whether the killing of a Palestinian teen may have been a revenge killing. As unrest grows in the region, people here in Maryland are closely watching the conflict.
Meghan McCorkell has more on the violence.
The Maryland Jewish community came together to pray for peace Wednesday night.
Tensions erupted near Jerusalem after a Palestinian teenager is found dead.
His family says he was kidnapped and killed by Israeli extremists-- after three Israeli teenagers were murdered.
"We call on the government of Israel and the Palestinian authority to take all necessary steps to prevent an atmosphere of revenge and retribution," said Josh Earnest, White House press secretary.
Hamas is being blamed for kidnapping the Israeli teens.
Police released a 911 call made by one of them.
"We are being kidnapped" he told the officer. A kidnapper could then be heard yelling "head down" before the line went dead.
Missing for more than two weeks, the young men's bodies were found Monday.
Here in Maryland, members of the local Jewish community came together for a pray service to honor the three teens killed.
Hundreds gathered at Beth El congregation in Pikesville to mourn.
Even though the murders happened overseas, Beth Goldsmith with The Associated says the grief is being felt here.
"These are our children too. That's really, as Jews, how we feel. When you, we are responsible for each other. This impacts all of us so dramatically," Goldsmith said.
Similar services have been held all over the world.
People here pray it sends a message.
"Hopefully the more we do things like this, the more we can show that we want a peaceful solution," said Cantor Thom King, Beth El congregation.
A peaceful solution that could prevent more lives lost.
Local Jewish families put up yellow ribbons when the three teens were missing.Those ribbons will be changed to black ones.
The Israeli prime minister is urging both sides of the conflict not to take the law into their own hands.
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