HBO’s ‘Our Boys’ sparks anger among bereaved Israeli families for downplaying Palestinian terror

Over 100 Israeli families who lost loved ones sent a letter of protest to HBO over its new series “Our Boys.”

By Arye Green, TPS

Some 120 bereaved Israeli families sent a letter to American entertainment company HBO protesting the new series “Our Boys,” which depicts the harsh events that led to Operation Protective Edge in Gaza during the summer of 2014.

The series focuses on the three Jewish teenagers who were kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists, and the murder of a Palestinian teenager by Jewish extremists.

The letter sent by the bereaved families, organized by the Choosing Life Forum, demanded that HBO clarify that Palestinian terrorism is much more prevalent than Jewish acts of terror. HBO has declined to comply with the families’ request.

The families said there is a systemic difference in the societal treatment and acceptance of terrorism between the Israelis and Palestinians. While the rare act of Jewish terrorism is condemned and denounced by Israeli society, the Palestinian public supports terrorists who kill Jews. What’s more, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has a law on the books that requires to pay those who carry out acts of terror.

“The kidnapping and murder of the Jewish teenagers was only one of a series of similar events. The Palestinian murderers receive support from the public and are hailed as heroes. Conversely, the murder of the Palestinian teenager was met with shock, and was condemned by Israeli society.” the families wrote in the letter they sent to HBO.

“Every year, dozens of Jews are murdered due to the ongoing incitement of the PA. The Arab ‘street’ doesn’t condemn the murder of Jews; it supports and reinforces it,” they added.

“After my daughter and three other officers were murdered by terrorists, the people in their [Palestinian] neighborhoods handed out candy and celebrated. This repeatedly happens, after every terror attack,” she said.

Palestinians last week gave out sweets to passersby in several cities following the murder of 19-year-old Dvir Sorek. During his funeral and while his body was being interned, Palestinians in the nearby village of Silwad launched fireworks.

Meirav Hajaj, the mother of IDF soldier Shir Hajaj who was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in 2017, is one of the organizers behind the letter. She said the letter’s contents comes from her own personal experience.

HBOOperation Protective EdgeThree kidnapped boys