As Israeli security forces continue their search for kidnapped teens Eyal Yifrah (19), Naftali Frenkel (16), and Gilad Sha’ar (16), dozens of Jews and supporters of Israel staged an angry demonstration outside the PLO embassy in France. The demonstrators slammed the support that they said the Palestinian Authority was giving to the kidnappers of the boys, and its tolerant attitude to terror in general. The demonstration was held by a coalition of Jewish activist groups, including the Jewish Defense League.

While Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas last week released a statement condemning the kidnapping of the three teenagers, he also used it as a platform to hit out at the massive Israeli crackdown aimed at finding those responsible. “The Palestinian presidency… condemns the series of events that happened last week, beginning with the kidnapping of three Israeli youths,” the statement said. “We will continue to work intensively for the release of Palestinian prisoners,” Abbas continued. Israeli sources said that the statement was no better than “lukewarm,” if that.

The protesters held up signs identifying with Israel, and called for the release of the kidnapped teens. They also called on the French government to expel the Palestinian Authority’s ambassador to France from the country, and to move to halt European Union assistance to the PA.

One protester said that the demonstration was organized in order to protest the presence of the “PLO embassy of terror from France. Thank G-d we were able to spread our message to a lot of people. We support and embrace the families of the kidnap victims, and expect the French government to expel the representatives of the terrorists who sit in France in safety. Our community organizations, including the Jewish Defense League, will do everything it can to prevent anti-Semitism and support Israel.”