This is an older article, from IsraelNationalNews.com, on Gilad Shalit's on-going, desperate plight, which I had posted, back in January 2007.
Original Post: IsraelNN.com
By: Hana Levi Julian
On: January 18, 2007 / 28 Tevet 5767
I just wanted to take a moment to say, what a wonderful idea this blog is. A blog dedicated to the righteous effort, to bring the continued, desperate, plight of Gilad Shalit, to the attention of those, who are in a position, to secure his release, is a dynamic undertaking, and worthy of our best efforts.
As we approach the one year anniversary of Gilad's capture, by terrorist thugs, we must do everything within our abilities to bring him home safely, to his loved ones.
I would like to thank, Mr. Bagel, of "Bagel Blogger" blog fame, and all the other fantastic co-authors of this newly launched blog, "Free Gilad Shalit", and I would also like to encourage everyone, who visits this blog, to get involved. Every effort is greatly appreciated, and desperately needed at this time.
Please read my earlier post below:
Kidnapped Shalit Caught in a PA Power Struggle
Original article on:IsraelNationalNews.com
On: Jan 18, '07 / 28 Tevet 5767
by: Hana Levi Julian
IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit [pictured] has become a pawn in the power struggle between the Fatah and Hamas factions, charges a third terrorist group, which participated in his capture last June.
The Army of Islam said in a statement Wednesday that Shalit is in Hamas’ sole custody at present, adding that the group led by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh is using the hostage in its bid to retain control of the government.
Israel has agreed several times to a prisoner swap deal brokered by Egyptian intelligence officials with Shalit’s captors, only to have it called off at the last minute by Hamas.
The primary bone of contention between Israel and Hamas rests on the issue of which prisoners to release and how the swap for Shalit will be handled. Israel wants Shalit freed before it hands over the terrorist prisoners, and Hamas is refusing to do so. Hamas has also demanded the release of prisoners which Israel has said it will never free, due to their long-time status and the severity of their crimes.
“The issue of the captured soldier has become a political case for the sake of narrow factional interests,” read the statement. “Muslims are being prevented from gaining their freedom because of Fatah and because of Hamas.”
Army of Islam terrorists contend that when Shalit was captured last year, an agreement had been made between the three groups involved in the raid that there would be no movement on the soldier’s fate – toward freedom or death – while there was still a chance the Israelis would come through with a prisoner swap.
Now the group says both Hamas, and the Fatah faction headed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), are using the issue of the offer by Israel to fight each other, rather than focus on freeing PA prisoners.
“Either Fatah uses it to get at Hamas, or Hamas uses it to get at Fatah,” accused the third terrorist group, which urged that Hamas allow the PA Prisoner Affairs Minister the authority to make the decisions and bring the parley to an end.
After numerous meetings between the two factions failed to produce a coalition unity government in the PA, Abbas finally announced last month that he was calling for new elections. Abbas' announcement reignited the bloody street battles between Fatah and Hamas terrorists that began almost a year ago, after Hamas won control of the PA government in a landslide.
As the internal PA violence intensifies, once again people on both sides of the Gaza border speculate whether “this time” the PA will break apart in an outright civil war.
Some 30 PA residents have been killed in the fighting since the new elections were announced, and Shalit remains in captivity.
End of Days Talkspot: Kidnapped Shalit Caught in a PA Power Struggle
Free: Gilad Shalit: Gilad Shalit * Gilad and Israel * Gilad * Jewish Soldier and Gilad * Kidnapped Soldier * Justice * Hostage * Kidnapped Israeli * Gilad Shalit * IDF* Terrorism* Jewish * Hamas * Jew
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
End of Days Talkspot: Kidnapped Shalit Caught in a PA Power Struggle
Monday, June 18, 2007
Report: Israel offered deal for Schalit
Israel has offered to remove the economic embargo on Hamas if kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit is freed and Kassam rocket attacks stop, the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat reported on Sunday morning.
The message was reportedly conveyed to the Islamic group via Arab mediators.
A Hamas source in the Gaza Strip was pessimistic about the seriousness of the proposal, telling Al-Hayat that it was an Israeli attempt to "put out the feelers" on the now Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
He said that Israel had proposed a removal of the embargo, which has been in place since the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in January 2006, allowing the delivery of merchandise to Gaza.
However, according to the report, Israel remained steadfast in its refusal to transfer frozen tax revenues or other funds in exchange for Schalit.
On Thursday, diplomatic sources said that in light of the current infighting in Gaza between Fatah and Hamas, the frequency of negotiations over Schalit's release had gone down.
According to the sources, contacts between Hamas and Egypt - who has been serving as mediator between Hamas and Israel - would only resume once the situation in Gaza stabilized.
Meanwhile, the Hamas source added that kidnapped BBC reporter Alan Johnston would be freed by this weekend. He said that the kidnappers, who belong to the Durmush clan, recently contacted Hamas, who threatened that if Johnston were not released within 48 hours Hamas would use force.
Another Hamas official said that Johnston, who has been held since March, would be freed soon.
"All I can say is that Alan will be free very soon," Islam Shahwan, spokesman for Hamas in Gaza, said Sunday.
However, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri, downplayed hopes for his quick release, saying, "there is nothing new yet regarding Alan."
Bagelblogger: I find the timing of this announcement just doesn't sit well with the events on the ground. Are we witnessing the Arab media trying to write the narrative fo the weeks ahead?
Reference:
JPost: Report: Israel offered deal for Schalit
Free: Gilad Shalit
: Gilad Shalit * Gilad and Israel * Gilad * Jewish Soldier and Gilad * Kidnapped Soldier * Justice * Hostage * Kidnapped Israeli * Gilad Shalit * IDF* Terrorism* Jewish * Hamas * Jew
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Hamastan Roundup
You have to appreciate the irony of this, especially since I've been saying all along about them much of what the Pals are now saying about each other:
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday rejected a request by the head of the Arab League to meet with supreme Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, an Abbas aide said.
Abbas received a call from Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, who offered to arrange such a meeting, said the aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Abbas vehemently turned down the offer, the aide said.
Earlier Saturday, Abbas adviser Yasser Abed Rabbo told a news conference that the president will not engage in a dialogue with killers, referring to Hamas.
It was just peachy meeting with Hamas when they were only the killers of Jews. But now that they are the killers of Palestinians, well, that's a different story.
And the truths just keep on coming. Hamas has suddenly discovered the means to release BBC reporter Alan Johnston, whom they've been holding in the first place.
The captors of kidnapped journalist Alan Johnston have promised to release the British Broadcasting Corp. correspondent within 24 hours, a source close to the negotiations said Friday.
Hamas' armed wing issued a statement Friday, saying it was in an advanced stage of negotiations and "begun practical steps to secure [Johnston's] release."
In Damascus, Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal said he was in contact with Hamas operatives in Gaza to secure the release of Johnston.
[...] Johnston, 45, was snatched in Gaza three months ago by a group believed to have links to Hamas, and a message purporting to be from his captors has demanded the release of Islamic prisoners, including a cleric being held in Britain.
Translation: "Holy crap, our PR is bad after murdering all those Fatah guys and civilians. Let's throw the infidels a bone to shut them up."
Meantime, the West Bank Palestinians apparently look down their noses on the Gazan Palestinians. Wow. Even the Pals don't like the Pals.
Ramallah residents Thursday dismissed the possibility of Hamas taking over the West Bank. In Gaza, "there are tribes and clans like in the Jahiliyyah [pre-Islam] era," said one, Qassem. "Here, in the West Bank, we're more civilized, educated. It's a different nation, not like in Gaza."
And here is a comment on the Hamas military methods (along with that infamous mercy, justice, and tolerance thrown in):
"They're using the same methods as the Israelis, and even worse," a senior Palestinian source said. "They declare an area a closed military zone and shoot anyone who goes out into the street. Hamasniks strip Fatah men they capture, humiliate and beat them. They go from door to door with lists to hunt down Fatah people and execute them."
Fatah's military defeat was mainly caused by the split in the organization, he said: "All the forces are identified with Fatah, but each force fought independently against Hamas, which was united and better trained."
Fatah officials in the West Bank spoke with contempt about Hamas in Gaza. "Let's see how they manage now, after they've won, running things like water and power from Israel," one official said. "How will they cooperate with Israel over the border crossings?"
Yes, the world is going to wait for Gaza to sink into the mire. But here's the thing: Hamas has already proven itself adept at smuggling cash, weapons, and munitions into Gaza. Now that they control the border crossings previously run by the corrupt Fatah thugs, will it be an open faucet? Will Egypt continue to turn a blind eye to the arming of Hamas?
Iran shows no sign of turning off the money spigot any time soon. I'm not going to jump on the "Wait for Hamas to crash and burn" bandwagon. I think that they have just managed to subjugate an entire people. They're rounding up weapons from anyone outside Hamas. The first step in a dicatatorship: Remove the opposition party. Second step: Disarm the populace. Third step: Initiate your new laws, enforced by your thugs, who are now the only ones in your state allowed to bear arms. Hamas has initiated or completed all of these steps.
Watch for the Islamic theocracy to arise from the ashes of Gaza. The people are used to being subjugated by their leaders. They will bow just as easily under the Hamas yoke, particularly after we see a few public executions and beatings for "un-Islamic" activity.
This is a bad, bad, bad thing for Israel, the region, and the world, as I've said several times already. The U.S. and EU are now going to pressure Israel into easing up on the West Bank to make Hamas look bad. Well, PIJ is still in the West Bank, and so is Al Aqsa, and so is Hamas, and the PFLP. They're still trying to launch terror attacks. And they're still shooting, stoning, and knifing any Israeli that happens to be in the path of a terrorist with a stone, a knife, or a gun.
The regional balance has been completely altered. Iran has its front in Gaza, ready to go at a moment's notice, in concert with its front in Lebanon. And then there's Syria, waiting to jump in as well.
Dangerous times.
Free: Gilad Shalit: Gilad Shalit * Gilad and Israel * Gilad * Jewish Soldier and Gilad * Kidnapped Soldier * Justice * Hostage * Kidnapped Israeli * Gilad Shalit * IDF* Terrorism* Jewish * Hamas * Jew
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Noam Shalit fears son's fate in light of Gaza chaos
Father of kidnapped IDF solder Gilad Shalit, who has been held in Gaza for almost a year, says family has not received any information regarding his son
Internal clashes between Fatah and Hamas in Gaza have aroused concern for the fate of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Gilad's father, Noam told Ynet on Thursday that his family was completely in the dark regarding his son's well-being.
"We did not receive any information regarding the stance of the organizations that are holding him, if they are even still relevant," Shalit said, adding that he did not get any information from sources who have been holding negotiations with the kidnappers, such as Egypt.
June 25 will mark one year since Shalit was captured by terrorists who infiltrated Israel and attacked an IDF post in the southern Gaza Strip, near Kibbutz Kerem Shalom.
Over the past few days, the situation in Gaza has continued to intensify, with Hamas taking over all the buildings overlooking Fatah's Preventive Security Service headquarters in Gaza City, and claiming to have taken over part of the compound on Thursday.
Over three weeks ago, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that negotiations for the release of Shalit were put on hold, due to the shaky security situation and the violence in the Gaza Strip.
"Talks were put on hold for now, following internal Palestinian complications and tensions that were created," Aboul Gheit said.
Reference:
Ynet news: Noam Shalit fears son's fate in light of Gaza chaos
By Ahiya RavedFree: Gilad Shalit
: Gilad Shalit * Gilad and Israel * Gilad * Jewish Soldier and Gilad * Kidnapped Soldier * Justice * Hostage * Kidnapped Israeli * Noam Shalit * IDF* Terrorism* Jewish * Hamas * Jew
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Egyptian official: Israel behind stagnation in Shalit talks
Negotiations for the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit have stagnated because of Israel's "stubbornness," a senior Egyptian official told the London-based Arabic newspaper al-Hayat.
"The stagnation is the result of Israel's stubbornness and refusal to be flexible. When the concessions are only made by one of the sides, this is not a negotiation, but a dictating of terms," he stated. (Roee Nahmias) [END]
Ynet News: Egyptian official:Israel behind stagnation in Shalit talksFree: Gilad Shalit
: Gilad Shalit * Gilad and Israel * Gilad * Jewish Soldier and Gilad * Kidnapped Soldier * Justice * Hostage * Kidnapped Israeli * Noam Shalit * IDF* Terrorism* Jewish * Hamas * Jew
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Minister Boim: Gaza ceasefire hinges on release of Shalit
Immigration and Absorption Minister Zeev Boim said Tuesday that Israel would agree to a ceasefire with Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip only part of a deal that includes the release of Gilad Shalit.
"In the last ceasefire, Gilad Shalit was kidnapped and any serious initiative requires his return first," he said. (Anat Barshkovsky)
[END]
References:
Ynet News: Minister Boim: Gaza ceasefire hinges on release of ShalitFree: Gilad Shalit
: Gilad Shalit * Gilad and Israel * Gilad * Jewish Soldier and Gilad * Kidnapped Soldier * Justice * Hostage * Kidnapped Israeli * ceasefire * IDF* Terrorism* Jewish * Hamas * Jew
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Hamas: if any harm comes to our leaders, Israel can forget about Gilad Shalit
Hamas military wing spokesman Abu Obaida said Saturday that if any of Hamas leaders are harmed, Israel can "forget about Gilad Shalit".
"Suicide bombings in Israel are just a matter of time and proper conditions…we can fire rockets even beyond Ashkelon, and we will resume suicide bombings and kidnappings," added Obaida. (Ali Waked)
Article from Ynet News
Free: Gilad Shalit: Gilad Shalit * Gilad and Israel * Gilad * Jewish Soldier and Gilad * Kidnapped Soldier * Justice * Hostage * Kidnapped Israeli * Noam Shalit * IDF* Terrorism* Jewish * Hamas * Jew
Friday, May 25, 2007
Negotiations on Shalit suspended
Egyptian foreign minister tells reporters talks on kidnapped Israeli soldier put on hold due to violence in Gaza
The negotiations for the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit have been suspended due to the situation in Gaza, Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Friday.
"The talks have been put on hold for now, in light of the situation and the internal Palestinian tensions," Aboul Gheit told reporters in Cairo.
Hamas and Fatah representatives left for the Egyptian capital on Friday in hope of reaching an Egyptian-mediated truce between the rivaling factions. The representatives are also scheduled to discuss the escalation with Israel.
Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman said that his country played a key role "in the rehabilitation of the relations within the Palestinian people… so that they can return to the negotiating table with Israel."
The London-based Arabic language newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi quoted a Palestinian official as saying that Suleiman is going to pressure Hamas and Fatah to bring the Shalit affair to an end.
Article from Ynet News
Free: Gilad Shalit: Gilad Shalit * Gilad and Israel * Gilad * Jewish Soldier and Gilad * Kidnapped Soldier * Justice * Hostage * Kidnapped Israeli * Noam Shalit * IDF* Terrorism* Jewish * Hamas * Jew
Friday, March 9, 2007
Eight months in terrorist captivity as the World turns a blind eye.
10 March 2007
Eight months tommorrow, have passed since the unprovoked abduction of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser on the Israeli side of the Lebanese border, and of Gilad Shalit on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza.
[Click Read More...]
Eight months have passed since the unprovoked abduction of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser on the Israeli side of the Lebanese border, an action that precipitated widespread confrontation between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hizbullah terrorist organization. To date no word has been heard from the two captive soldiers, and neither their families nor the government of Israel have any knowledge of their whereabouts or their current state of health.
Two weeks prior to their abduction, another soldier, Gilad Shalit, was abducted as well, this time on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza. His family, too, anxiously awaits news from him. Especially grave is the fact that these unprovoked abductions were carried out on sovereign Israeli territory.
Taken from their families eight months ago, these captive soldiers are denied the most basic of human rights as enshrined in the Geneva Convention. In a gross breach of U.N. Resolution 1701, the terrorist organizations that carried out these abductions, and Syria and Iran who support them, behave as if these human rights are nothing more than a bargaining chip in their game of negotiation, refusing even to transmit messages to the captives from their families. International bodies who met with the captives' families have also tried to forward messages and letters, but they have been met with a negative response as well.
Neither Israel nor any other civilized, law abiding country can accept this situation. The World speaks of Human rights yet ignores the most basic rights of these kidnapped soldiers.
Gilad Shalit (20) was born on August 28, 1986. He is the son of Aviva and Noam Shalit and the brother of Yoel (23) and Hadas (16).
Gilad was born in Nahariya but was raised from the age of two in Mitzpe Hila in the western Galilee. He graduated with distinction from the science class of Manor Kabri High School. Gilad loves math and sports. He has enjoyed playing basketball ever since he was a child, but is interested in sports in general. He follows the different leagues and tournaments all over the world, from tennis and basketball to cycling and athletics. If you wish to know the results of a tournament somewhere in the world - it’s Gilad you should ask.
Gilad is a well-mannered, quiet and introverted young man. An almost permanent shy and hesitant smile light up his face. Gilad is always volunteering to help everyone.
Gilad began his military service about a year before his abduction - at the end of July 2005. Despite a low medical profile, he preferred to serve in a combat unit, followed his elder brother Yoel into the armored corps. After successfully ended his training, Gilad was guarding and ensuring the security of the settlements around Gaza when he was abducted by terrorists.
Since the attack at Kerem Shalom on Sunday, June 25, 2006, Gilad has been held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas.
Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser (31) was born in Nahariya on July 18, 1975. He is the son of Miki and Shlomo and elder brother of Yair (26) and Gadi (23). He married Karnit 10 months before his abduction.
Udi is a graduate of the science class in the Amal Comprehensive High School in Nahariya. He served in the combat battalion Zabar Givati. After his military service he toured Australia alone on a motorcycle for half a year. Later, he completed his preparatory studies in the Technion and went on to study environmental engineering.
Udi is a kind and much loved person. He is considerate of other people’s opinions even if they oppose his own. It’s fun being in his company. He is a loving and caring person, always ready to offer a helping hand in any situation. He is a man of principles and values, knowledgeable in many subjects. He loves movies, music and spending time with his friends. A motorcycle buff, he has encyclopedic knowledge of all models. As a child he sailed the seas with his father, and has recently got his skipper license for sailing yachts and was planning to sail abroad.
Conservation of the environment is of the utmost importance to Udi. Indeed, he joined a Green group to help clean our nature reserves. Udi loves animals, and although he suffers from a mild fur allergy, he lives with two cats and lovingly adopted an abandoned and injured dog he found in the street. Over the last few years he has developed a great interest in photography. He spends much of his spare time taking pictures of scenery and nature in Israel and abroad. Lately, his hobby has become a profession having begun to take on projects as a photographer.
On July 12, 2006 Udi was abducted to Lebanon after Hizbullah attacked his military patrol.
Eldad Regev (26) was born and raised in Kiryat Motzkin. He is the son of Zvi and the late Tova Regev, and brother of Benny, Ofer and Eyal.
Eldad completed his secondary education at the Yeshiva High School in Kiryat Shmuel. He excelled in biology and passed all his matriculation exams with ease. In spite of his mother Tova's untimely death when he was in the 12th grade, Eldad decided to serve in a combat unit and volunteered for the elite Givati infantry brigade. After his army service, like most of his friends, he traveled to the Far East. On his return he started to work while at the same time enrolling in Bar Ilan University's pre-law preparatory course with the aim of being accepted to the university's law faculty.
One of the qualities that makes Eldad so special is the kindness of his heart – never hesitating to donate and offer aid to anyone in need. Eldad made many friends throughout high school and during his army service, all of whom can attest to his fine qualities.
Among Eldad’s hobbies are football (last year he passed a coaching course - he is a fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv football team), music and books. A fanatic football fan, before being called up for reserve duty Eldad closely followed the World Cup games. He also went to the concert given by Roger Water (of Pink Floyd) in Kerem Shalom.
Eldad was called up for military reserve duty after completing his exams at the preparatory course in Bar Ilan University. Three days before his abduction he visited his family and participated in the annual memorial for his mother. Later, he watched the last game of the World Cup between Italy and France. The following day he returned to the complete the remainder of his reserve duty.
On July 12, 2006 Eldad was abducted and taken to Lebanon after Hizbullah attacked his military patrol.
References:
This article is substantially based on a previous article
Behind the Headlines: Six months in terrorist captivity
which is from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is provided here to provide context to visitors of this blog.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
An interview with Gilad's Father
Hamas has confirmed that Gilad is alive and well, but nothing has been heard from him. He has not received any visits from the Red Cross and Hamas has not revealed where he is being held. There are many rumours about negotiations for his release in a prisoner exchange but, as Noam observed, the vast majority of the newspaper reports are disinformation. No-one knows whether Hamas and the Israeli government will reach an agreement at all, let alone when.
When I called Noam to request an interview, he said, very politely, that he did not have any new information about his son. I told him that we were interested in writing a piece about him. "But I am not the story," he protested gently.
Noam Shalit has been described as a hero and a symbol of peace. When asked whether it was true that he had spoken to Ghazi Hamad, the (Hamas) spokesman of the Palestinian Authority (PA) who recently expressed harsh criticism of his own people for their failure to build a functioning society in Gaza (article here), he said, "Yes, I’m not very political. He seemed like a nice man and I have no problem talking to anyone who is willing to talk to me and doesn’t want to kill me. " He speaks frequently with PA officials and is planning to visit Gaza in order to meet Hamas politicians.
He visited the families who were bereaved at Beit Hanoun, and he also visited the wounded residents of Beit Hanoun who were evacuated to Israeli hospitals.
"I know Beit Hanoun was a mistake, but it was a huge tragedy and a lot of innocent people who just want to live normal lives were caught between battling powers. At the hospital, I appealed for a break in the cycle of violence."
Quite a lot of people read about Noam Shalit’s actions and concluded that he was a leftist who did not represent mainstream Israeli society. Actually, I think he is a good example of Israel’s silent majority.
Noam describes himself as non-political. He did not vote in the last elections ("I was in Eilat") but when asked, he said he most identifies with Ehud Olmert’s centrist Kadima party. He also describes himself as pro-peace, although he thinks that calling him a hero of peace is "very exaggerated." He was "strongly" in favour of the withdrawal from Gaza because he saw it as a chance for peace: "I hoped that the Palestinians in Gaza would build businessess and hope for the future, factories and houses. But instead they built tunnels to smuggle weapons and they built bomb factories. It is very disappointing." But his desire for peace remains unshaken. "I really believe that the extremists on both sides are dragging us into this conflict. Because the vast majority on both sides, I think, want peace and quiet. We don’t love each other, but we are sick of wars and violence."
Gilad Shalit has become a symbol and a bargaining chip, but of course for Noam he is just his son - and he wants him back. Right now the negotiations for Gilad’s release are stuck on the issue of how many Palestinian political prisoners should be freed in an exchange (there is talk of exchanging 1,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails for Gilad), and also on who those prisoners should be. There is controversy, for example, about releasing Marwan Barghouti, the popular former Fatah activist who was sentenced in a Tel Aviv civilian court to five life sentences for murder and attempted murder (more about Barghouti here).
Noam sees all these negotations in simple and pragmatic terms: "I have appealed to the Palestinian and Israeli governments, not to make grand political deals on the back of my son. I know that the political prisoner issue is very important on the Palestinian street, but we won’t be able to resolve it using my son. They abduct my son, we jail Hamas members of the Palestinian parliament, and then they respond with another kidnapping... It’s endless, and nothing will be resolved like this. The only solution is for both parties to sit down and negotiate."
We asked Noam if he had made any plans for Gilad’s return.
"No," said Noam. "We haven’t made any plans. We haven’t even thought about it. We know we will have to treat him very carefully because he was only 19 years old when he was abducted. He had been in the army for less than one year."
Then he said, "Gilad’s release seems so far away."
Story Credit and thanks to: Lisa Goldman [Original Post]
Lisa Goldman is a Canadian-Israeli freelance journalist, based in Tel Aviv.
Free: Gilad Shalit: Gilad Shalit * Gilad and Israel * Gilad * Jewish Soldier and Gilad * Kidnapped Soldier * Justice * Hostage * Kidnapped Israeli * Noam Shalit * IDF* Terrorism* Jewish * Hamas * Jew
