Thousands are expected to take part in the Thursday evening rally outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Yerushalayim demanding that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert do whatever necessary to ensure Gilad Shalit is released by his Hamas captors before stepping down from office.

There are fears that if Gilad remains in captivity until the general election in February, the political process and the establishment of a new government will occupy lawmakers and Gilad will be forgotten, at least for an extended period of time.

Organizers of the event are calling on the prime minister to “clear his desk of all unfinished business, including the release of Gilad, prior to stepping down from office”.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)