Gilad Shalit's family mark soldier's 5th birthday in Hamas captivity
British Foreign Office: Shalit's detention is unjustifiable and unacceptable. The British government demands his immediate and unconditional release.
By Fadi Eyadat and Danna Harman Tags: Gilad ShalitGilad Shalit's family, friends and supporters marked the 24-year-old soldier's fifth birthday in Hamas captivity on Saturday in a rally at a protest tent in Jerusalem.
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Aviva and Noam Shalit in a protest tent in Jerusalem on the eve of Gilad's 24th birthday |
| Photo by: Emil Salman |
Shalit was captured by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in June 2006, and has been held captive by Hamas, the rulers of Gaza, ever since. Hamas has demanded the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in exchange for the Israel Defense Forces soldier's release.
The British Foreign Office issued a statement on Saturday, corresponding to Shalit's birthday, saying that “the thoughts of many in Britain are with Gilad Shalit and his family as he spends his 24th birthday in captivity."
"His detention is unjustifiable and unacceptable. The British Government demands his immediate and unconditional release," the statement continued.
Aviva Shalit, Gilad's mother, asked the wives of MKs and ministers to take part in Saturday's rally, but by the end of the week had received no reply.
"This will mark 1,525 days and long difficult nights in which I haven't seen my son," Aviva wrote in the invitation to the wives. "Not to see, not to hug, not to hear, not to smell – to live in a big painful emptiness in our home in Mitzpe Hila, without holidays or special days. I ask you humbly, as a mother, sister, wife, human being – help me bring my son home."
The Shalit family has spent the last six weeks living in a protest tent across from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem. They have called on the public to join them in demanding that the Prime Minister take action to secure the freedom of Gilad Shalit.
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Alas he, as are his folks, victims of a war started 62 years ago by a preemptive Plan Dalet, inherited by Israel May 14th and unfortunately perpetuated by Israel's continued usurping of the Palestinians. Hamas are a response. Hamas are not a state, they are not bound to the GC's as they have not signed them. Under the laws of war all Hamas is required to do is treat the POW well and allow family contact. They have done so via letters.
May He who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Aron, David and Solomon, bless, watch over and keep safe Gilad the son of Aviva and Noam Shalit May He redeem him from his captivity and speedily return him to safety, for the entire House of Israel is praying for him. May the Holy One Blessed Be He have mercy upon him, give him great strength and abolish his suffering. May He grant him healing of body and spirit and may He speedily return him to the embrace of his family. And let us say Amen.
To the Israeli Government: STOP TALKING AND START ACTING. Your country's son is suffering. Your people are suffering. Gilad's captors do not respond to civility and negotiation. Using these tactics will not work. Try something that will.
Yet, Israel did redeem the bones of Goldwasser and Regev. So why does Netanyahu refuse to redeem the living Gilad Shalit? Is the 'price' too high? Then Bibi believes that some Palestinians are worth more than the life of any Jew.
hope your having some great hummus
stop killing us and we will stop killing you
What is unjustifiable is the detention of thousands of Palestinians by the Israeli occupation forces, many who are being held indefinitely w/o charge or trial. What is unjustifiable is the open-air prison that is the occupied Gaza Strip and West bank and the many who suffer daily. Shalit is but one P.O.W, while the palestinian people are millions. He is a legitimate target as a soldier serving as part of an occupying military force whereas most Palestinians are being held as political prisoners or for practicing their legal right to resist occupation.
The detention of more than 10000 Palestinians is not only unacceptable, but also a crime against humanity performed by Israel, the God´s chosen people, who is permanently suppressing the occupied territorries, stealing land, destroying houses and cheating the whole world with the unconditrional peace negotiations.Israel should be aware that this has no future.
How many of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners are innocent ? How many children are robbed of their youth ? When one has no compassion, your enemies heart will be of stone.
Netanyahu cited two objections to the Hamas demands: 1. The most dangerous released terrorists (45 out of 450) will not be allowed to return to the West Bank but could go to Gaza or abroad, and 2. Arch-murderers will not be released. The first objection is of a security nature, but the security professionals don't see the great danger, so it seems like an excuse. The second objection also appears to be phony. Who are those "arch-murderers"? It appears that at least some, if not all, are actually senior POLITICAL leaders, such as Barghouti (Fatah) and Natshe (a founder of Hamas). These people themselves did not kill anybody with their own hands, at most they enabled others, so I wouldn't call them "arch-murderers"; it is misleading. Let us remember that Netanyahu himself released Sheikh Yassin when Mossad agents were caught in Jordan. Yassin was no arch-murderer in the usual sense and in fact, some of the political leaders Israel holds are even MODERATE. Barghouti and Natshe developed the "prisoners' document" (2006) which enables a reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, calling for Hamas and other organizations to join the PLO and for the Palestinians to accept a state in the 1967 borders. Perhaps this is what Netanyahu wants to prevent. He needs enemies, not moderate leaders, in order to delay and reject peace possibilities which would force giving up part of Eretz Yisrael. Sorry Shalit family, you will probably have to wait until the next Israeli election to see your son.