Hamas: Demonstrations won't help free Gilad Shalit

A senior Hamas official said on Sunday that demonstrations would not help free Gilad Shalit, as thousands of Israelis rallied near Gaza to protest the kidnapped soldier's ongoing captivity.

"The Shalit family and the abducted soldier's friends need to understand that the Israeli government is the single reason why the prisoner exchange is deadlocked," Army Radio quoted Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri as saying.

About 3,000 people rallied on Sunday at Kerem Shalom, near the Israel Defense Forces post where Shalit was kidnapped by Gaza militants in a June 2006 cross-border raid. The Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers have demanded the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in exchange for Shalit's return.

According to the Palestinian news agency Ma'an, Zuhri also said: "The Shalit case is dependent on prisoners swap... He will never be released if the Israeli occupation does not release Palestinian prisoners whom Hamas wants free, whatever the consequence might be."

Earlier Sunday, Minister Ami Ayalon (Labor) said demonstrations and rallies on behalf of Shalit may raise the price his captors demand, but by the same token they could weaken Hamas' stance.

Ayalon's comments came in response to remarks made earlier by Defense Minister and Labor Chairman Ehud Barak who said that protests calling for Shalit's release could spur Hamas to raise the price Israel would have to pay in a deal for his release.

Speaking at the Kerem Shalom protest, Ayalon said: "I am here, and that is what I think about Barak's remark."

Later in the day Barak spoke in order to clarify his comments, adding: "Not a day goes by when I'm not occupied with Gilad's release, I lose sleep over this."

Ayalon described the debate surrounding whether or not to hold rallies in support of Shalit "hallucinatory" and described Barak's call on the public not to attend Sunday's rally a "simplistic interpretation of the democratic dialogue between public servants and those who elected them."

"A strong democracy is one in which the public tells the policy makers what it thinks, and if we think that an empty town square is the sign of a strong democracy then we are wrong," Ayalon went on to criticize his colleague.

Noam Shalit: The public doesn't believe its elected officials

Noam Shalit, Gilad's father, also addressed Barak's comments, telling Haaretz that "it appears that the public doesn't believe its elected officials. Time will tell whether the rally did any good, but sitting quietly won't advance a thing."

The overwrought father said earlier that the government could have secured his son's release as long as two years ago for a much lower price than his captors are currently demanding.

Earlier Sunday, Barak defended his call on the public not to attend the rally, telling Army Radio "I understand the protests, but we must find a way not to give the other side a signal that may increase the price, rather than lower it."

The concessions Israel would have to pay were growing ever higher amid the accelerating negotiations, Barak said. "We will have to make difficult and painful decisions over the list of murderers we will have to release," he told Army Radio.

Noam Shalit, the father of the abducted soldier, said in response to Barak's statements that Israel could have ended the affair at a lower price than the captors are currently demanding as early as two years ago.

"It seems the public has no faith in politicians," Shalit told Army Radio. "The public supports, initiates and particiates in activities to free Gilad and does not believe the declarations that everything is being done for his release."

Protesters block delivery of goods into Gaza

Dozens of protesters calling for Shalit's release on Sunday blocked the delivery of goods into the Gaza Strip at the Kerem Shalom crossing.

The protesters oppose the decision to allow goods into Gaza while negotiations with Hamas over Shalit's release fail to make progress.

The protesters, who also set tires on fire, were trying to prevent trucks from entering the strip, Israel Radio reported.

Some of the truck divers expressed solidarity with the demonstration by wearing shirts adorned with a picture of Shalit, who was kidnapped during a cross-border raid by Palestinian militants on June 25, 2006.

In addition to Sunday's protest at the Kerem Shalom crossing, Shalit supporters are also planning a number of events across Israel that are taking place through November 29, the date marking Shalit's 888th day in captivity.

The events began on Saturday with a parachuting display in support of Shalit, and will include, among other things, a picnic for families at a park in Ra'anana, yoga classes for pre-schoolers in Netanya, a kite-flying event for Jordan Valley parents and children and a campfire at Hayarkon Park. And at Auschwitz, 888 flowers will also be handed out.

The man initiating all of these events is Joey Rosenfeld, a 51-year-old Tel Aviv resident who works in the hi-tech industry. His original plan was to schedule 888 events, but there are currently 88. Rosenfeld said that other volunteers are also planning shows of support for Shalit.

Egyptian-sponsored negotiations over his release have so far come to naught, with Israel refusing to free the over 1,000 jailed Palestinians on Hamas's list.

Hamas has demanded that Egypt release Ayman Nofal, a senior military operative arrested in Egypt on suspicion he was planning to attack targets there.

Hamas leader Youssef Farhat told a rally of hundreds of Hamas supporters on Friday that Egypt could not play a mediation role as long as it held him.

"We have put the file of Shalit in the fridge and it will remain frozen unless Ayman Nofal is freed," Farhat said.

	Protesters calling for Shalit's release on Sunday block the delivery of goods into the Gaza Strip at the Kerem Shalom crossing. (Moshe Stern / Jini)