Happy Birthday Gilad Shalit - come home soon!

[scandal 951]

A Short History of Gilad Shalit on his 25th Birthday

Twenty-five years ago, a boy was born to Noam and Aviva Shalit, who lived in a lively, progressive town in northern Israel called Nahariya. 25 years later that town bears the scars of relentless Katusha rocket attacks, and that boy has spent 20% of his life being held against his will by terrorists.

On the morning of Sunday, June 25, 2006, Gilad Shalit was on patrol when his tank came under attack. Palestinian militants tunneled into Israel under a border crossing at Kerem Shalom and opened fire on the soldiers. Two Palestinians and two IDF soldiers were killed in the exchange; four other soldiers were left wounded. Shalit, who suffered a broken left hand and a wound to his left shoulder, was forcibly taken by Palestinian militants and transported to Gaza.

Today, Gilad Shalit sits and waits. His exact location is unknown. His condition is unknown. His future is unknown.

Despite aggressive diplomatic pressure from Israel; wide reaching requests by foreign leaders for his safe release; and repeated attempts by the Red Cross to visit Gilad; little progress has been made since that bloody day in the desert.

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam claimed responsibility for the attack, Shalit’s capture and his subsequent imprisonment. Al-Qassam is the militant arm of Hamas, the governing party of the Gaza Strip. The United States, Israel and other countries around the world list both Izz ad-Din al-Qassam and Hamas as terrorist organizations.

Captors set a ransom demanding the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for Shalit. Israel refused to agree, enforcing a policy to never negotiate with terrorists. Other nations such as Germany and France, where Gilad also holds citizenship, have attempted to indirectly negotiate with Hamas leaders, but with no prevail.

Meanwhile, Gilad remains isolated and alone. He wakes up in a world where freedom is only as close as his imagination can take him; where choices are non-existent; and where submission means another day alive. Gilad has done this for the past 1890 days.

Today, in Jersualem and around the world, supporters call for his release while they celebrate his birthday. Protests were held on the Gaza-Israel border, and in Jerusalem where people have camped in constant vigil and protest since his abduction. A facebook campaign spread like wild fire with the message:

“Today is Gilad Shalit's 25th birthday. He is an Israeli soldier who has been held hostage by Hamas for over 5 years (This will be his 6th birthday in captivity). Hamas has refused requests from the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit him, which is a violation of International law. Please join me in spreading awareness by posting this as your status, for just one day. Together, we can fight to free a man who deserves to live a life of liberty and peace. Happy birthday, Gilad.”

Still Gilad remains in captivity. His parents desperately seek his release as frustration builds. Noam Shalit addressed a crowd at the Erez crossing where supporters gathered to recognize Shalit’s birthday; his agitation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was clear.

"Leaders who are capable of living with abandoning a soldier, an IDF soldier sent on a mission, and are unable to live with calculated risks ... are not capable of leading the State of Israel," he said.

The Palestinian Authority is expected to submit a resolution to the United Nations General Assembly at the end of the month, requesting that member states recognize Palestinian statehood. While many countries express support for statehood, they require that the issue surrounding Gilad Shalit be addressed.

"The world cannot recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip while a soldier is kept in Hamas' basements and is not even allowed visits by the Red Cross," a source involved in Israeli efforts said.

For his 25th birthday, Gilad’s parents wrote him a letter, with hope that the words would reach him.

“Our beloved Gilad, we know that every day that passes is another nightmarish day, a day of impossible suffering, days and nights of suffocating endless loneliness. But you must believe that we do not forget you, we do not forget the fact that [today], you will be 25 years old, that this is your sixth birthday in captivity, that more than a fifth of your young life has been spent in a dungeon, a Hamas pit.”

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

A Short History of Gilad Shalit on his 25th Birthday

Twenty-five years ago, a boy was born to Noam and Aviva Shalit, who lived in a lively, progressive town in northern Israel called Nahariya. 25 years later that town bears the scars of relentless Katusha rocket attacks, and that boy has spent 20% of his life being held against his will by terrorists.

On the morning of Sunday, June 25, 2006, Gilad Shalit was on patrol when his tank came under attack. Palestinian militants tunneled into Israel under a border crossing at Kerem Shalom and opened fire on the soldiers. Two Palestinians and two IDF soldiers were killed in the exchange; four other soldiers were left wounded. Shalit, who suffered a broken left hand and a wound to his left shoulder, was forcibly taken by Palestinian militants and transported to Gaza.

Today, Gilad Shalit sits and waits. His exact location is unknown. His condition is unknown. His future is unknown.

Despite aggressive diplomatic pressure from Israel; wide reaching requests by foreign leaders for his safe release; and repeated attempts by the Red Cross to visit Gilad; little progress has been made since that bloody day in the desert.

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam claimed responsibility for the attack, Shalit's capture and his subsequent imprisonment. Al-Qassam is the militant arm of Hamas, the governing party of the Gaza Strip. The United States, Israel and other countries around the world list both Izz ad-Din al-Qassam and Hamas as terrorist organizations.

Captors set a ransom demanding the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for Shalit. Israel refused to agree, enforcing a policy to never negotiate with terrorists. Other nations such as Germany and France, where Gilad also holds citizenship, have attempted to indirectly negotiate with Hamas leaders, but with no prevail.

Meanwhile, Gilad remains isolated and alone. He wakes up in a world where freedom is only as close as his imagination can take him; where choices are non-existent; and where submission means another day alive. Gilad has done this for the past 1890 days.

Today, in Jersualem and around the world, supporters call for his release while they celebrate his birthday. Protests were held on the Gaza-Israel border, and in Jerusalem where people have camped in constant vigil and protest since his abduction. A facebook campaign spread like wild fire with the message:

"Today is Gilad Shalit's 25th birthday. He is an Israeli soldier who has been held hostage by Hamas for over 5 years (This will be his 6th birthday in captivity). Hamas has refused requests from the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit him, which is a violation of International law. Please join me in spreading awareness by posting this as your status, for just one day. Together, we can fight to free a man who deserves to live a life of liberty and peace. Happy birthday, Gilad."

Still Gilad remains in captivity. His parents desperately seek his release as frustration builds. Noam Shalit addressed a crowd at the Erez crossing where supporters gathered to recognize Shalit's birthday; his agitation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was clear.

"Leaders who are capable of living with abandoning a soldier, an IDF soldier sent on a mission, and are unable to live with calculated risks ... are not capable of leading the State of Israel," he said.

The Palestinian Authority is expected to submit a resolution to the United Nations General Assembly at the end of the month, requesting that member states recognize Palestinian statehood. While many countries express support for statehood, they require that the issue surrounding Gilad Shalit be addressed.

"The world cannot recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip while a soldier is kept in Hamas' basements and is not even allowed visits by the Red Cross," a source involved in Israeli efforts said.

For his 25th birthday, Gilad's parents wrote him a letter, with hope that the words would reach him.

"Our beloved Gilad, we know that every day that passes is another nightmarish day, a day of impossible suffering, days and nights of suffocating endless loneliness. But you must believe that we do not forget you, we do not forget the fact that [today], you will be 25 years old, that this is your sixth birthday in captivity, that more than a fifth of your young life has been spent in a dungeon, a Hamas pit."

I've posted it before but they are very serious negotiations in Cairo to secure his release, so I think this is going to happen very, very soon. Let us pray that all captives, Israeli and Palestinian return home soon.

[mawilson 2,133]

Is there a reward for information about his whereabouts?

Probably the best way to find him.

[scandal 951]

Is there a reward for information about his whereabouts?

Probably the best way to find him.

How about this?

I'll offer a reward.

I promise to take his picture out of my sig as soon as he's released.

Any VJers sick of seeing that photo just have to discreetly give the IDF the intel on his whereabouts.

For a bonus, as soon as unemployment is below 7% and our GDP over 3% for a couple of quarters, I'll take out the "FDR - We need you" Campaign sticker too

Till then, Franklin and Gilad are gonna be good buddies down below.

[Nagishkaw 510]

יום הולדת שמח