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Noam Shalit, the father of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. (Moran Maayan / Jini) Last update - 12:34 19/06/2008 Noam Shalit: Gaza siege mustn't be lifted until Gilad freed By Amos Harel and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents Tags: Gilad Shalit, Gaza, Israel  Noam Shalit, the father of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit, strongly attacked Israel's intention to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip in the framework of a cease-fire that does not guarantee his son's return. In an interview with Haaretz, Shalit accused Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of violating his commitments - and of showing a lack of sensitivity for abducted soldiers. Shalit sent Olmert a letter on Wednesday, with copies to Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, with a demand to keep up the economic siege on the Gaza Strip as long as his son's fate is up in the air. The letter also leaves open the possibility that Shalit will take legal steps to stop the implementation of an agreement with Hamas. Advertisement Shalit added that the state's handling of the return of his son reminded him of a "banana republic." He said the fact that Gilad has still not returned home after almost two years in captivity is a sign of failure. In one of his meetings with the prime minister, "Olmert told us he does not have a contract that requires him to free any citizen from captivity," said Shalit. "Olmert was talking about Gilad, who is a soldier. That is not acceptable to me, and I don't think it is acceptable to anyone in this country. That is a horrible statement of a politician, of a lawyer. In the best case it is superfluous. In the worst case it is coming from a man who himself never fought, who was never behind enemy lines or was in danger of being captured," Shalit said. He said he had warned Olmert that if an agreement is not reached very soon, "we may possibly have to negotiate with Hamas one day over the return of a body, of bones." According to Shalit, he informed Olmert that he intended to step up the public fight to free his son. "We have not given the government 100 days of grace, we have given them 730," said Shalit. "Until now I have not spoken bluntly, because I feared I might, heaven forbid, damage negotiations." "I hear conscript soldiers and their parents who are worried because of what is happening with Gilad," he said. "On one hand, we see an increasing phenomenon of draft dodging. On the other hand, there are soldiers who fell captive after they willingly went to serve in combat [units] and they are not being returned," he said. Shalit also expressed his fears that his son would become a second Ron Arad. He said that this was a real threat and Gilad needed to be saved, and time was critical. He said that "in Arad's case there was also an address to talk to, until one day they had an interest to sell him - and he disappeared. The last letter from Ron to his family, 20 years ago, still echoes in my head constantly. Ron wrote them: 'Act as if there is no time.'" Related articles: Israel-Hamas truce takes hold in Gaza Eager yet untrusting, both sides of Gaza border await calm ANALYSIS / For truce architect, Israel chose lesser of two evils New dawn for kids who only know Qassams? Fatigued, Gazans don't believe Bookmark to del.icio.us   Purchase price More consumers are letting their consciences do the shopping. Fighting fear N.Y. mayor urges Jewish voters to denounce Obama Muslim rumors.   1.   Mr. Shalit - my sympathies - U got screwed 04:47  |  * BEN JABO 19/06/08   2.   keep them guessing 05:11  |  sami 19/06/08   3.   what else would you expect from traitor olmert ? 05:22  |  chaim 19/06/08   4.   Quote: Why are you putting terrorists into prison? Kill them! 05:50  |  Lubavitcher Rebbe 19/06/08   5.   Shame on Olmert! 06:21  |  Expat Okie 19/06/08   6.   Olmert has forsaken Gilad 07:18  |  Rina 19/06/08   7.   This "cease fire" will not last so long as Gilad Shalit is being 08:52  |  Ariel 19/06/08   8.   Forsaken 08:56  |  ??? 19/06/08   9.   We are 6 million outraged fathers w/Shalit 09:22  |  Alain 19/06/08   10.   IF I WERE NOAM 11:04  |  indrajaya 19/06/08   11.   bigger 11:10  |  rm 19/06/08   12.   Noam is right , Olmet is a traitor 11:16  |  Daniel 19/06/08   13.   NOW, I KNOW 11:32  |  indrajaya 19/06/08   14.   START giving them the Arab treatement.No more vistors 12:54  |  PETER SM 19/06/08   15.   Shalit mustn`t be released! 13:35  |  Lorenzo 19/06/08   16.   # 14 petersm 18:35  |  Axel 19/06/08   17.   #15 Lorenzo - If they released you 18:38  |  * BEN JABO 19/06/08   18.   #10 20:59  |  Jane 19/06/08   19.   Indrajaya 21:00  |  Jane 19/06/08   20.   Olmert and his devious way 22:00  |  Connie 19/06/08   21.   Mr. Shalit has a nerve making such a comment & demand 09:53  |  Dutch 21/06/08

Read & React Israel: There will be no Shalit deal unless Hamas is flexible Responses: 63 Yossi Melman: Israel is a long way from attacking Iran Responses: 82 Report: N. Koreans worked on Iran nukes at Syria plant hit by IAF Responses: 57 Gideon Levy: Does Israel really want peace? Responses: 58 Rosner's Domain Will we see a record number of Jewish lawmakers? (2) Comparing Obama and Chamberlain (WTR) Guests: intermarried Jews are more distant from Israel The Joe Lieberman dilemma Poll: Cease fire in Gaza is an achievement for... More Headlines 17:59 Prosecutor to court: Don't intervene in Gaza truce 15:17 Shin Bet: Terror activity, arms smuggling stepped up in Gaza 16:32 Olmert: I'll fire Labor ministers who try to topple government 18:01 Yad Vashem, monks and electric cars - Sarkozy visits Israel 16:40 Iran threatens 'devastating' response if attacked by Israel 11:01 ANALYSIS / An Israeli strike on Iran is still on the agenda 17:55 Teen brutally beaten in apparent anti-Semitic attack in Paris 14:21 Olmert: Israel can't keep taking handouts from Diaspora Jews 16:33 Teenager confesses to murder of Ramat Hasharon lawyer 04:47 Report: North Korea developed nukes for Iran at bombed Syrian facility 13:11 4 days into truce, Israel moves to gradually ease Gaza blockade 14:17 Olmert extends Mossad chief's term citing 'exceptional success' 05:12 Report: Soldiers routinely abuse Palestinian prisoners Previous Editions Select Day 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun 10 jun 09 jun 08 jun

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