With the death of Pope Francis, the world loses not only a church leader but also a moral compass
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A state for some of its citizens: captured black soldier’s saga highlights racism in Israel
By Ramzy Baroud
DISCRIMINATION: Ethiopian men at a rally in Kiryat Malakhi, ‘City of Angels,’ in southern Israel in 2012
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“FOR HOW long will I be in captivity? After so many years, where are the state and the people of Israel?” These were the words, uttered in Hebrew, of a person believed to be Avera Mengistu, an Israeli soldier of Ethiopian origin who was captured and held in Gaza in 2014.
Footage of Mengistu, looking nervous but also somewhat defiant, calling on his countrymen to end his nine-year incarceration, mostly ended speculation in Israel on whether the soldier was alive or dead.
The timing of the release of the footage by Hamas was obvious, and is directly linked to the Palestinian group’s efforts aimed at conducting a prisoner exchange similar to the one carried out in 2011, which saw the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for the release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
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