A side-story sidelined

Did you see the news today with the Israeli tanks shelling the Palestinian jail to get 6 wanted prisoners? One side story is an American teacher who was kidnapped during that time as tensions flared and armed man grabbed foreigners as reprisals. He is sympathetic to their cause even despite this ordeal and really gave an earful to the commentator live over the phone to CNN International though no media has yet written about it or really given his point of view other then this general paragraph.

“The professor, Douglas Johnson, who teaches at the Arab-American University near the West Bank city of Jenin, said he remains sympathetic to the Palestinian people. “It won’t change my commitment. I understand what they did. I understand their frustration. They could have easily killed me,” Johnson said.”

If he would be complaining of being mistreated or something the press would be all over it but he was standing holding his ID with masked gunmen with a bemused look on his face not fear like most of the video footage that comes from kidnappings in Iraq. He said in his telephone interview they were too hospitable. He lives and works there and that no doubt played a role in him knowing how to react and relate. I doubt he will get many calls to do interviews or the rounds at sunday talkshows as his side is not the one that usually gets out much.  

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