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In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.” More than three weeks after approximately 2,500 Hamas terrorists stormed Israel and carried out a brutal pogrom beyond description, some 229 Israelis and foreign nationals remain missing after having been kidnapped by the terrorist organization. Beyond the 229 missing persons—tens of thousands and more people whom they touched, including family, friends, co-workers, fellow students, among others, are seeing their “whole world fall apart” as they “stare blankly” into the dark abyss that Hamas has created with its inhuman conduct.
The sense of anguish, grief, and concern is being spread worldwide, as dedicated organizations are spreading the word. One such organization is “Kidnapped.” The organization explains on its website:
This project is powered by the dedication of people worldwide. Thousands of activists from across six continents, spanning from Sydney, Australia to major European capitals, and including more than 30 states in the US, South America, Asia, and Africa, are united with one goal: to bring these individuals back home safely. After witnessing the horrors of this terror attack, we can no longer sleep at night until these kids, women, elderly, and entire families are safe. Can you?
The site allows people to download, print, and disseminate posters of the kidnapped people. Each poster contains the name, age, and nationality of a missing person. Each poster explains the terrible acts carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023 so that readers know how things reached their current stage. Each poster contains a QR code that brings readers to the “Kidnapped” website. The website also contains a petition so that people can express their support for the immediate return of the missing persons and a link for donations for those who seek to contribute to the cause.
By making the names, faces, and ages of the victims available, the site reveals the human connection between readers and missing persons. The human faces and their experiences strengthen the connection and reinforce the conviction that the innocent victims must be freed.
What happened was an uncivilized act of barbarity. The civilized world must prevail, starting with the freedom of the innocent missing persons documented by the website.
As of the writing of this blog, the posters are now appearing in many locations in the United States, including New York City and its suburbs.
May all the missing people never be forgotten. May the human connections forged through the ongoing campaign to bring their plight to the world’s attention succeed in securing their freedom.
Downloadable Poster
Poster on a telephone pole
Posters on a telephone pole
