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Abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
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Last update - 21:59 06/03/2009
Mass rallies aren't helping to free Gilad Shalit, says Olmert
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service
Tags: Hamas, Gaza, Israel News 

Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Friday that mass rallies are "not helping" secure the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

"Scum are holding him," said Olmert. "When they see demonstrations of 20,000 people, what do you think, that it strengthens or weakens them?"

His comments came after bereaved families of terror attack victims announced Friday they would launch a campaign against the release of Palestinian prisoners for Shalit.
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Israel is expected to release prisoners, some of whom have perpetrated deadly terrorist attacks within Israel, in exchange for abducted soldier. Shalit was kidnapped by Gaza militants in a 2006 cross-border raid.

The group of bereaved families is set to launch on Sunday a public campaign against the prisoner release. The group includes relatives of victims who died in the Haifa bus suicide bombing in 2003.

According to the families, their decision to launch the campaign comes following a widespread campaign that is expected to start Sunday calling for the release of Gilad Shalit, which includes a widely-discussed film segment that uses tapings of Shalit's own voice.

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      1.   Israel, all that mess for a few hills on the West Bank..... 15:23  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/03/09
      2.   Free Shalit 16:45  |  baurat 06/03/09
      3.   #1 60 years of Palestinian statelessness, worth it? 17:21  |  McQueen 06/03/09
      4.   Free Gilad Shalit 18:16  |  Jan 06/03/09
      5.   # 3 McQueen, same answer....... 18:49  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/03/09
      6.   swiss,honestly we don`t care what you think,get over yourself 19:11  |  another Swiss 06/03/09
      7.   shalit 20:40  |  bert 06/03/09
      8.   I`ve been blocking the release of Shalit for their sake 20:58  |  Damon 06/03/09
      9.   #4, another swiss...or you either. Dino is correct! 21:13  |  Silvienne 06/03/09
      10.   What are they thinking? 21:20  |  Manny Goldstein 06/03/09
      11.   Gilad Shalid 22:38  |  Juergen Baumgart 06/03/09
      12.   Starving Children Doesn`t Work Either 22:48  |  Mark of Lewiston 06/03/09
      13.   Trade Olmert For Shalit 00:44  |  Baruch Gold 07/03/09
      14.   Re Trade Olmert For Shalit 02:56  |  Joan 07/03/09
      15.   he has lost his moral compass 07:47  |  Jean Cohen 07/03/09
      16.   # 3 McQueen, the answer is of course the same.... 10:41  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/03/09
      17.   Olmert for Shalit 15:36  |  M Swaid 07/03/09
      18.   #3 The arab nation offered to recognise israel in exchange 17:28  |  david Cohen 07/03/09
      19.   Olmert hasn`t been helping either 22:00  |  Mark Lincoln 07/03/09
      20.   No, actually Shalit is the victim of people like the Haaretz 23:44  |  Andreas 07/03/09
      21.   # 3 mcqueen, your comment is moot and contrary to the truth (3rd 07:43  |  eric 08/03/09
      22.   gilad shalit 08:24  |  peter rotuk 14/03/09
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