Free GIlad Shalit: Time in Captivity

Poll: Five Years On. What should the Israeli Government do?

What action should the Israeli Government take now that Hamas has clear control of Gaza and it has been 1 year since Gilad Shalit was been kidnapped
Negotiate with Hamas
Negotiate with Hamas, release as many prisoners as it takes
Hold the Hamas Leadership directly accountable
Hold the Leadership accountable and give them one final deadline before military action
Hold Leadership accountable, give deadline for military action and total cessation of all Israeli supplied electricty and Water.
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Tuesday, August 28, 2007

"Don't Let Apathy Kill Them"

From Arutz Sheva:

Tel Aviv Birthday Party Rally for Shalit

Family and friends of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit are planning a large 21st birthday party rally at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv Tuesday. Organizers will hand out small magnets with slogans stating "Don't let apathy kill them" and "We're waiting for you back home."

Hamas has refused a request by Shalit's father Noam to publish in its newspaper a birthday letter to Gilad. Independent Arab newspapers previously have published personal letters to his son, who was kidnapped by Hamas and other terrorists more than a year ago.

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Hamas wants prisoner release for Schalit video

"We did not blackmail Israel, and we gave free information to Gilad Schalit's father and his family that Gilad Schalit is still alive. When he asked us to bring him glasses for his sight, we did so as a humanitarian duty. We treat Gilad Schalit in a humanitarian way that is in line with the Palestinians' morals," Hamas leader in Syria, Khaled Mashaal told a CNN reporter on Monday.

"Hamas changed a lot and great efforts have been made to conform to the realistic positions of Palestinians and Arabs. When Hamas says with other Palestinians forces that we demand for a Palestinian country as the border was back in 1967, Isn't this a development? [Sic]" he added.

But past reports in virtually all Israeli media outlets painted a picture less rosy than Mashaal's account Monday. Hamas's release of an audiotape with Schalit's voice was the first sign of life from him, Red Cross representatives have yet to be allowed to contact him, his glasses were never given to him and reportedly, his captors were not treating him according to the guidelines stated in the Geneva Convention.

Also, comments made by Ahmed Youssef, an aide to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh earlier Monday, prove that no shred of information was "freely" given to Israel by Hamas, as Mashaal claimed in his interview.

If Palestinian women and children were freed from Israeli jails, Youssef said, Hamas would consider releasing a videotape of captured IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit which would reveal information about his condition.

The aforementioned audiotape was released on June 25, a year after the soldier was captured.

Yousef told Israel Radio that Hamas was prepared to "give another gesture of goodwill" if Israel responds accordingly.

"When we released the voice recording of Schalit we expected something from Israel in return, namely, the release of women and children from Israeli jails."

"If Israel would have done this we would have published a videotape of Schalit talking about himself," said Yousef, lamenting, "unfortunately, this never happened."

He concluded by saying that if Israel agrees to the proposal, Hamas will consider a "new initiative" in the form of a video recording.

Tuesday marks the 21st birthday of the captured IDF soldier - his second birthday spent in captivity.

References:
JPost.com: Hamas wants prisoner release for Schalit video

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Saturday, August 18, 2007

Prose to Ponder

A haiku

really, what irks us
is...ideology kills
free Gilad Shalit

7/6/07
by rda

A Poem

clasping peace
piece by piece
peace piped in
breaking ways
piece meal
breaking bread
flat bread shared
piece by tattered piece
full-filling my guts desire...

for peace
shorn off the lamb's weathered wool
living amongst the enemy
piece of my peace
piece of your peace
blanket persists stitch by stitch

2/14/04
by rda

thanks to Haikuiraq.blogspot.com

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A Christian perspective:
A poem about Freeing Gilad

Gilad at 19 you are just a lad,
they were cowards taking you
but we havent stopped praying
nor will we do, until the Lord delivers you
Your father mourns a son and heir
The Heavenly Father hears our prayer
Yes we are Christians we worship Yeshua
But we faithfully bless you of that please be sure
We know that our God answers prayer
We know though alone you will not feel lonely
For the Holy Spirit can reach you even when only
He can cos you are far from the touch of friends.
And so this poem slowly ends. Gilad you are
prayed for by all your friends, friends you do not
know from across the world, friends who march under
a banner of Love unfurled in the Heavenly Realm
with Yeshua Ha Messiach at the helm
So we pray psalm 91 and we pray for your health and
your strength and protection and declare to the enemy
wherever the lurk - Our God Reigns and completes His work
on earth as in Heaven love and faith are leaven.......................


By the Way...

The Following Poem was submitted by Valerie.
As the moderator of this blog,[Mr Bagel] I'd like to indicate that I respect peoples rights to their chosen religious beliefs.

Personally I'm Jewish, and on my own personal blog I wouldn't entertain the notion of posting a Poem that featured beliefs that contradict my own held beliefs.

But the desire to free Gilad Shalit is not about any particular persons religious beliefs, its simply the decent thing to want and because of that, I have decided to post this poem.

Valerie I appreciate the time you spent in writing this poem.

Regards Mr Bagel


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