“I say it with sadness but the truth is the government is not doing a thing to obtain the release of Gilad Shalit from captivity. It is illogical that so much time has passed and he is still not home with his family,” stated Mrs. Miki Goldwasser, the mother of Ehud HY”D, in her address at a Wednesday night event marking Gilad’s 22nd birthday, his third in captivity. The event was held in the Sufah Crossing area in southern Israel, near the location of the cross-border terror attack during which he was taken captive by Hamas on June 25, 2006.

Some 200 people were on hand, as Miki continued, “It is sad to think this way but it appears the government is concerned with other matters, including their internal political issues and primaries. Gilad Shalit has been pushed aside but he is the government’s most pressing problem, one that should remain in its sight constantly.”

She called on wives of Arab prisoners imprisoned in Israel to take part in the effort towards Shalit’s release, since his release will result in their release she exclaimed.

“I took this mission upon myself along with a number of other women, and it will continue until he is home. We see Ron Arad in front of us and I tremble to think this will be Gilad’s fate.”

Dagan Shochar, Gilad’s platoon commander stated “politicians in Israel are afraid to make difficult decisions which may compromise their careers. If they abandon Gilad, they abandon all soldiers. The ground is dropping out from under them. If soldiers believe their country will not go to battle for them, the soldiers in return will not go to battle for their country.”

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)