Binyamin Region Commander Colonel Amir Abulafia spoke out on Sunday to warn the Jewish community of recent kidnapping alerts. Abulafia warned that terrorists are extremely motivated to kidnap Israelis, because they wish to use captives or dead bodies as bargaining chips to gain the release of terrorists imprisoned in Israel. He reminded the public of several recent kidnapping attempts, which were thankfully unsuccessful.

Abulafia expressed concern that there is little awareness of the severity of recent kidnapping alerts. He also worried that Jewish hitchhikers could be an easy target for terrorists. He encouraged travelers to take public transportation more often, or to hitchhike from within Jewish towns, instead of waiting at major intersections where Arab cars travel freely.

Abulafia expressed particular concern for youth, who he said often hitchhike alone, and who travel via hitchhiking at all hours of day and night. He has prepared a short film to alert the public to the dangers of hitchhiking, he said, and he hopes that parents and educators will encourage young people to watch it and take more caution.