Press Releases

MIAMI – Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24) issued this statement following the news that the bodies of the three Israeli teenagers - who were abducted on June 12, 2014 while returning home from school - were found today near Hebron.

"Just last night, I spoke at the Jewish Federation of Broward County Solidarity Rally in support of the ‘Bring Back Our Boys' campaign, started to bring awareness to the kidnapping of the three boys.

"Today, I have no words to express my sadness and outrage upon hearing the news of Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar, and Naftali Frenkel, three innocent young men traveling home from school to be with their families to celebrate Shabbat. This is a day of mourning and I offer my deepest condolences to their families, the people of Israel, and the entire Jewish community.

"When our children are targeted by terrorists, the entire world suffers. I continue to condemn the actions of those who perpetrated this crime and I offer my strong support to the Government of Israel in its efforts to bring those responsible to justice, said Congresswoman Wilson."

The "Bring Back Our Boys" social media campaign was modeled after the "Bring Back Our Girls" movement, which was started in April in Nigeria to bring awareness to the kidnapping of nearly 300 Nigerian school girls. Both campaigns galvanized people around the world and sparked outrage over the abductions.

Congresswoman Wilson recently launched a twitter storm to further the cause of the "Bring Back Our Girls" movement, and to ensure that the girls are not forgotten, by asking the international community to tweet #bringbackourgirls daily.

Congresswoman FredericaS. Wilsonis a second-termCongresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school. Along with Congressman Bill Posey, Congresswoman Corrine Brown, and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, Congresswoman Wilson serves as founding Co-Chair of the Florida Ports Caucus, a bipartisan taskforce that coordinates federal action in support of Florida's harbors and waterways.