Nevertheless, it must be noted that – if there is a proper way for a despairing spouse or family members of a person taken hostage to behave under such grave circumstances – the behaviour of Centanni’s brother and Wiig’s wife was exemplary. Indeed, it’s arguable that their measured and informed public entreaties were more persuasive in negotiating the release of their loved ones than any behind-the-scenes political pressure.
Moreover, experts on Middle East culture suggest that those pleading for the release of Centanni (left) and Wiig (right) ensured their welfare by referring to them as “guests”, not captives. This supposedly appealed to the kidnappers’ pride in “Palestinian hospitality”. (Never mind that kidnapping these men and forcing them to “convert” to Islam at gunpoint made a mockery of any notion of hospitality, even in Palestine….)
But the most mercenary Palestinian jihadists had to have been chastened somewhat by public pleas in which Centanni’s brother and Wiig’s wife not only conveyed appropriate sympathy for Palestinian grievances against Israel but also stressed how indispensable these captive journalists were to redressing them.
However, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya (here with Wiig’s wife Anita Naught to his right) had to have been almost as relieved as their family members were that these famous hostages were released unharmed. After all, if they were killed, the PR blow to the Palestinian cause would have been even more devastating than the PR hit Israel took after its smart bombs killed scores of women and children in South Lebanon. (Actually, many political analysts cite this incident as the tipping point when Israel lost popular support for its offensive against Hezbollah.)
Though, ultimately, all Palestinians who lobbied for their release must have felt tremendously gratified when Centanni and Wiig expressed these kind and instructive words after their ordeal:
I hope that this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover the story because the Palestinian people are very beautiful and kindhearted….The world needs to know more about them. [Steve Centanni]
That would be a great tragedy for the people of Palestinians if their story does not get told….You guys need us on the streets. [Olaf Wiig]
NOTE: Even I am not so cynical as to suspect that the Palestinian government ordered these kidnapping. Especially since kidnapping is as much a thriving private enterprise in Palestine as it is in Iraq. (Remember Jill Carroll? Click here). And, more often than not, the pay-off is considerable for these hostage-trading bandits. (In fact, reliable sources indicate that former Italian President Silvio Berlusconi paid Iraqi kidnappers $1 million for the release of Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena last year, which I commented on here. )
Therefore (and ponder this), I think most Palestinians regard this kidnapping as more of a PR faux pas than a crime. Moreover, far from capturing and prosecuting the kidnappers for this dastardly act, I suspect Palestinian authorities actually negotiated on their behalf for FOX News CEO and Chairman Roger Ailes to pay a handsome ransom for Centanni and Wiig’s release….
Business is business, right?
Steve Centanni, Olaf Wigg
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