Noam Shalit, IDF soldier Gilad Shalit’s father, expressed anger, frustration and perhaps disgust in his pained words today, Wednesday, a day before Gilad marks his third birthday in Hamas captivity. On Thursday Gilad will be 22. He was abducted into Gaza during a cross-border terror attack in Kerem Shalom on June 25, 2006.
Noam stated that the government “quietly and elegantly” continues on its path, seemingly not too bothered by the fact Noam remains a hostage to Hamas. “To my sorrow, I do not see any efforts towards obtaining his release” he added, pointing the finger of blame at Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, along with other government officials responsible to work towards obtaining Gilad’s release.
Prior to the Regev-Goldwasser prisoner release that resulted in Hizbullah turning over the bodies of the two soldiers, along with bodily remains of other soldiers killed in the Second Lebanon War, senior IDF officials and intelligence community higher-ups warned that Israel is compelled to strike a deal with Hamas to bring Shalit back home before completing the deal with Hizbullah, since Shalit is alive and the others were known to be dead.
The prime minister however persuaded his cabinet to support the deal, and assured the Shalits and the nation that Gilad would soon follow suit and would be reunited with his family.
Since that time, Hamas has openly and brazenly announced it is upping the ante and is demanding the release of some 1,000 terrorists in return for Shalit, periodically announcing threats that if Israel refuses to comply, Shalit “will remain prisoner for another 20 years”.
People working to keep the Shalit issues in the media spotlight are afraid that the young soldier may Chas V’sholom become the next Ron Arad, who fell into captivity over Lebanon in Oct. 1986. The government had an opportunity to obtain his release, but was unwilling to pay the price, and reliable information on Arad is no longer available. He is presumed alive, and many feel he has fallen into Iranian hands.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
The article states Noam Shalit expressed, “perhaps disgust”? I am sure that is the least of it. Hamas is still holding his son and Olmert makes “good-will” gesture prisoner releases to Hamas.