Feb 27/2015

My Friend Diego and Palestinian Terrorism

Diego Ladowski was a colleague of mine. An accomplished individual, 29 years of age, he had joined Israel's diplomatic service a mere ten years after immigrating to Israel from Argentina, where he had been born and raised.

Diego was one of the most amicable and caring people you could ever hope to meet. He was modest, charming, sensitive, and smart, and healways looked to extend a helping hand to anyone in need.

On July 31st, 2002, my friend Diego was on his way to Hebrew University in Jerusalem to submit his last papers for a Master’s Degree in Political Science. He lost his life on that fatal day, in a terror attack that claimed the lives of nine people like him who had stopped for coffee or a bite to eat at the university cafeteria.

This week, a Federal jury inNew York found the Palestinian Authority liable for supporting that hideous terrorist attack, along with five others that took place in Israel between the years 2001-2004.

I miss my friend Diego a great deal. The pain of his loss strengthens my desire for a peace that would prevent future losses. For peace to be possible though, the Palestinian Authority must demonstrate a true commitment to a negotiated agreement and it must distance itself from terrorism.

Unfortunately, what we are witnessing today is the exact opposite. Instead of negotiating peace with Israel, the PA is walking away from talks and endangering regional stability by taking hypocritical, dangerous measures such as appealing to the International Criminal Court. Instead of distancing itself from terrorism, it distances us all from peace by embracing terrorism, including its embrace of Hamas.

It is incumbent upon the international community to continue punishing those who support terrorism, as did the Federal court in New York, and support those states committed to fighting it. 

Shabbat Shalom,

  

Yaron Sideman
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region