The picture of the kidnap posted by Hamas on social media. Alma is in blue. | Hamas/Humphrey Carter

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New Jersey native Dani Rotstein, who runs the Jewish Majorca tour agency in Palma and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Community of the Balearic Islands , and his family are holding out hope for his 84-year-old aunt Alma who was snatched from her home by terrorists in the Israeli town of Nahal Oz, just some three kilometres from the border with Gaza, and is being held hostage by Hamas.

Dani told the Bulletin that the last time his cousin spoke to his mother was at 11am last Saturday, the day of the “terrorist invasion” of Israel.
“It was my father who found out that my aunt had been taken hostage after Hamas released images of all the hostages on social media. Her son came across a picture of his mother, who needs medication, on the back of a motorbike with two armed Hamas terrorists in front and behind her and another woman.

“From what we understand, on Saturday morning the air raid sirens went off and everyone headed home to their bomb shelters. Some people have stronger ones than others, my aunt’s was more a bomb shelter than a safe room and Hamas terrorists kicked down the door and dragged her away. She was on her own at the time and when her son returned home after the air raid alert had been lifted, found that she was missing.

“While Israel has become used to suicide bombers and occasional shelling, it’s never suffered an invasion of this kind.
We, the family, has had no contact with my aunt since and we have a deep feeling of sadness and depression but we must maintain hope that she and all of the hostages will be returned safely.

“Israel is determined to not leave any of the terrorists alive, even if that means losing the lives of hostages, it believes it is worth paying the price for the common good not only of Israel but Israelis and Jews around the world and the world at large.

“It’s terrible what’s happened and what is happening to babies, children, young people which have been taken hostage. It’s extremely disturbing and disrupting to have a family member taken hostage by Hamas and here in Mallorca I’m trying to explain to all my friends who are not Jewish and have no connection with Israel what is going on and the implications because what is the world going to be like a week from now? What is going to happen next, not only in Israel but around the world? Jews are now in danger everywhere and I fear that global opinion may swing against Israel.

“How, after 250 women and children have been killed in cold blood, can people be going around flying and waving Palestinian flags, burning the Israeli flags in Australia, the United States and Canada, for example? Never mind the Pro-Palestinian marches across Europe including here in Palma.
“These people are marching in favour of Hamas terrorists, what does a free Palestine mean? Why were these people not marching two weeks ago, why now after this terrible terrorist attack.
“I would like to hold a pro-Israel rally in Palma but I fear for the safety of myself, my family and other members of the Jewish community here.

“Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism, which I consider the same, is spiking again all around the world.
“The news is fueling bipolarism and it’s very scary.

“Here in Mallorca I feel safe as a Jew. On my tours of Jewish Palma I proudly wear my Jewish Majorca T-shirt, I’m not going to hide my identity and live in fear, but I need to be smart to be safe and that goes for the Jewish community at large which has come together on the island.

I want people to know the full story, consider the full reality of what is going on and that it is not only people in Israel who are in danger. The more exposure of what Hamas is doing the better because it could happen on your doorstep whether you are Jewish or not.

We’ve had 9/11, bombings in Madrid, bus attacks in London - we are asking people to support us, fight against terrorism and say it’s wrong.
“Attacks on innocent civilians have to be punished if not, terrorism is going to become the norm. It may have started again in Israel but it’s not a remote problem.

It can’t be allowed to continue, it has to be stopped and we want, I want, people to speak out and if anyone wishes to discuss it further or receive any more information I am willing to talk to them,” Dani told the Bulletin.