Gilad Shalit swap imminent?
Gilad Shalit, seen in the videotape released by his Hamas captors last month.
Don’t hold your breath, but Reuters is reporting the possibility that Israel and Hamas may be close to reaching a deal to swap hundreds of Palestinian prisoners for captive soldier Gilad Shalit. There have, of course, been scads of reports about supposedly imminent deals. Shalit, meanwhile, has been in captivity since June 2006.
Shalit’s captors are particularly cruel (and don’t care much about following international law): The first “sign of life” his family (and all of Israel) received was a videotape released last month. We’ve written in the past about how these swaps reveal Israel’s truest nature: That the country prizes human life above all else. These swaps unquestionably compromise Israel’s security — they encourage future kidnappings since terror groups see that it’s a tactic that works to get their fighters out of jail and, of course, they release terrorists who all-too-often have gone on to commit further violence against Israeli civilians. But the Jewish value of pikuach nefesh, saving a life, is never far from public discussions about the exchanges.
It’s up to Israel to decide the wisdom of these swaps. In the meantime, we pray that Israel’s leaders receive wisdom and guidance and that the Source of Comfort—and Salvation—lower His protective cloak over Gilad Shalit and his family: “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:1)
Read more about Shalit and send messages of support to his family here.
Comments (1) »Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 1:22 PM | Stand For Israel
Mashaal: We’ll keep kidnapping Israeli soldiers
Just days after the release of a video showing kidnapped Israeli solider Gilad Shalit, more evidence (as if it was needed) of Hamas’ instransigence surfaces:
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Hours after Israel released 19 female Palestinian prisoners – an additional prisoner will be released Sunday – in exchange for a video proving captive IDF soldier Gilad Schalit was alive, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on Friday night threatened to capture more Israeli soldiers in order to win the release of all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 9:28 AM | Stand For Israel
View the Shalit video
See it here. (Scroll down to the middle of the column.)
He says:
“Hello, this is Gilad, son of Noam and Aviva Shalit, brother of Hadas and Yoel, who live in Mitzpe Hila. My ID number is 97027. Today is Monday, September 14, 2009. As you can see I am holding today’s Falasteen newspaper of September 14, 2009, published in Gaza.”
[He holds up the newspaper and the camera goes into a close-up on the newspaper and then pulls out again.]
“I read the newspaper in order to find information about myself, and in the hope of reading about information of my return home and my imminent release. I hope the current government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t waste this opportunity to reach an agreement and, as a result, let me fulfill my dream and be released.
“I wish to send regards to my family and say to them that I love and miss them and yearn for the day in which I would see them again.
“Dad, Yoel, and Hadas, do you remember the day when you visited my base on the Golan Heights on December 31, 2005, that, if I am not mistaken, was called Revaya B. We walked around the base and you took photos of me on the Merkava tank and on one of the old tanks at the entrance to the base. Afterwards, we went to a restaurant in one of the Druze villages and, on the way, we took photos on the side of the road with the snow-covered Mount Hermon in the background.
“I wish to say to you that I feel good, health-wise, and the Mujahadeen of the Izzadien al-Qassam Brigades are treating me very well. Thank you and goodbye.”
Comments (0) »Friday, October 2nd, 2009 at 11:18 AM | Stand For Israel
Gilad Shalit appears healthy in video
Hours ahead of the start of the Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) holiday, the nation of Israel was relieved that footage of captive soldier Gilad Shalit showed him healthy and lucid.
A copy of the video, which was received today in exchange for the release of 20 female Palestinian prisoners, was flown immediately to the Shalit family, who live in the village of Mitzpe Hila, which is northwest of the Sea of Galilee. The family asked to view the video in private and notified the Prime Minister’s office that the video could be made public. (Shalit’s sister, Hadas, did not view the video with her family: She’s currently serving in the IDF and spent today at her base.)
Israeli media report that the footage is about two minutes long and shows a clean-shaven Shalit holding up a Palestinian newspaper dated Sept. 14. Not surprisingly, some world coverage focused on the prisoners being released rather than the fact that this is the credible first signs of life of the soldier received in 2 years.
Meanwhile, Israeli sources caution that the video exchange doesn’t represent a break-through in negotiations for Shalit’s release (he’s been held prisoner by Hamas for three and a half years now): The earliest anyone could expect a deal is mid-2010.
The video is the first time that his family has seen Shalit since he was kidnapped nearly 1,200 days ago. (An audiotape was released in 2007).
Comments (0) »Friday, October 2nd, 2009 at 11:11 AM | Stand For Israel
Gilad Shalit: 23 years of life, 3 years of captivity
Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, held captive by Hamas terrorists for over three years, will turn 23 years old this Friday, August 28. There is no indication that he will be released soon, and his captors refuse to release any information on his physical condition. The Jewish Agency for Israel is circulating an online petition calling on the International Red Cross to pressure Hamas to grant Shalit the rights due him under international law — rights that Shalit thus far has been denied. Take a moment to sign the petition, then head to our Stand for Israel website to send a message of solidarity and support to his family.
Comments (1) »Monday, August 24th, 2009 at 2:03 PM | Stand For Israel
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