European Parliament calls for immediate release of abducted IDF soldier
Unprecedented move comes after soldier's father met parliament chief; Israel slams stance on Goldstone.
By Jack Khoury Tags: Gilad Shalit Goldstone report Israel newsIn an unprecedented move, the European Parliament on Thursday passed by majority vote a call for the immediate release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.
Members of parliament from across the political spectrum signed on to a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Lady Catherine Ashton ahead of her visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories next week.
The letter demands that Shalit, who also holds French citizenship, be released and voices protest against the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip.
Noam Shalit, the father of the abducted soldier, called the letter sharp and clear and said he hoped that it would encourage the Israeli government to work toward his son's release and the Hamas government to submit its response to Israel's offer at once.
The elder Shalit met Wednesday in Strasbourg, France, with European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek and updated him on the stalled negotiations with Hamas on a potential prisoner exchange. Hamas has not responded to Israel's most recent proposal.
Shalit urged for the EU resolution to call for the immediate release of his son and to demand that he be treated according to the Geneva Convention.
Shalit added that the Red Cross should be allowed to visit his son and that information on his condition be passed along to the Shalit family.
Also Wednesday, the European Parliament urged its 27-member states to monitor the Israeli and Palestinian probes into alleged war crimes committed during last year's late-winter conflict in Gaza.
The resolution backed the findings of a UN-appointed expert panel chaired by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, which concluded that both sides committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the war that began in December 2008 and ended in January 2009.
The parliamentary move, which would give the EU an unprecedented role in evaluating the progress of Israel's war crimes probe, was sharply criticized by Israel.
"Israel regrets the decision of the European Parliament, which does not avail the peace process and is not commensurate with the principles of law and justice," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Thursday.
"At a time of international efforts to initiate proximity talks, it is regrettable that the European Parliament chose to express a position on such a controversial issue, which has already been discussed in other forums," said the statement.
"Israel is committed to the peace process and will continue to protect its citizens and soldiers."
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Shalit will not be released untill Hamas can no longer propagandize his detention and Israel imposes a condition that Hamas cannot ignore! easier said than done!
Didn't Israel just release 10 wimin prisnors for a vidio of Gilad Shalit [proof of life] some of which were convicted of belonging to an outlawed organization, like Lieberman your foriegn minister a member of Rabbi Meir Kahane organization officially classified as a terrorist organization by the USA and Israel. Then again none dare call it DOUBLE STANDARD
The current Israeli gov has proven unfriendly and unreliable and against US interests. I think we should look for a more reliable avenue. If the US can do what Israel refuses and get an Israeli released, why not? Israel isn't interested in getting him home or ever doing anything humane with Gaza. Francis Marion was once judged a terrorist and in some quarters, still is. One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter. Who's to say the US can't make a deal? Haniya appears less ruthless than Netanyahu and Yishai. The US doesn't sell missile guidance systems to Iraq or Egypt or Jordan or even France. We can sell or trade Pasta for natural gas or flowers. Our clothing industry need not be chained to China. And our construction firms could use the work. Your thinking is so one-dimensional. Who says we couldn't use a military base in the Eastern Med, either? We can stay friendly to Israelis, in spite if their current government, as we did with Poles during the Cold War.
Tony, is G. Shalit in jail? When was he accused and sentenced for what? I couldn't find anything about that. Up to now it seemed to me that the aim of abduction was not to have the possibility to accuse him of something he did personally, but to have a Jewish Israeli soldier as exchange for other persons, sentenced persons as I understood.
the accomplices in extortion? What shall the US give Hamas? Pasta? Rebar? GPS guidance systems for Qassams?
Noam Shalit is convinced that Israel won't try and get his son back. So now he's looking to the US and Eu for help. The US and EU don't have Palestinian prisoners. but we and the EU could offer Hamas something perhaps more valuable in exchange.
Do you imply the exchange of 14000 terrorist for the exchange of an innocent soldier? Think again! --
Did the European Parliament call for immediate release of 14 thousand Palestinians jailed in israel too?