Netanyahu to Shalit family: Take a break on Rosh Hashanah

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday encouraged the family of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to take a break from their struggle to secure his freedom during the upcoming Jewish holidays.

	Noam Shalit briefing reporters at the family's protest tent in Jerusalem on Sept. 1, 2010.
	Photo by: Michal Fattal

Netanyahu hosted Gilad's parents at his official residence in Jerusalem on Sunday, after the couple had spent the last two months living in a protest tent across the street. They had declared that this year, as in previous years since the abduction, they would not celebrate the holiday of Rosh Hashanah.

Shalit was captured by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in 2006 and has been held captive by Hamas, the Gaza rulers, for over four years.

Netanyahu, joined by his wife Sarah and the head negotiator in the Shalit talks Hagai Hadas, told Gilad's parents: "I understand that you plan to remain at the protest tent over Rosh Hashanah, but we suggest that you celebrate the holiday at your home, to gain strength, and return to the protest tent after the holiday."

"We know that you traveled a short distance today from the tent, but we hope that our next meeting will be at your home in the Galilee, together with Gilad," Netanyahu continued.

He told the parents that efforts to secure Gilad's freedom were scheduled to continue, in several different avenues, in the near future.

On Monday, Gilad's father Noam said that despite the prime minister's recommendation, he and his family would not leave the tent. "Unfortunately, we have not yet reached a point at which we can take a break and rest," he said. "Gilad, too, can't take a break from captivity."

Following the meeting with Netanyahu, Noam Shalit said that "nothing has changed."

1,534 days have passed since Gilad Shalit was abducted. So far there has not been any significant progress made in efforts to negotiate a deal that would see hundreds of Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails in exchange for Shalit's freedom.

"It has been eight months since anything besides talks has happened," Noam Shalit said. "Today there are no negotiations with Hamas, there is no pressure being applied, and unfortunately we also don't have any bargaining chips."

"We must bring him back before there is no one left to bring back," he said.