Noam Shalit
Photo: Hagai Aharon
Noam Shalit: Enemy of the people
Israel has done everything it can to ensure Gilad Shalit remains in captivity. So why is his father the bad guy?
For generations, parents in the toughest situation imaginable were dragged before the media, to roll their eyes and find the strength to say," We are sure the government is doing all it can…"
Noam and Aviva Shalit are Gilad Shalit's parents. They have a responsibility to do anything and everything to bring about his release. Governments, however, are not supposed to act according to parental instinct, but if they are going to wage a political battle on the back of a kidnapped soldier, at least they shouldn't call him "the kid."
Now, we've got Gilad Shalit's parents saying while the king may not be completely naked, he is surely not entirely dressed, either. The gap between the reality in which Israel is doing almost everything in its power to avoid bringing about Gilad's release, and the empty clichés we've been taught by the media advisors was too great even for those who thought the IDF abandoned Bedouin soldier Madhat Yousef to die at Joseph's Tomb at the beginning of the intifada because he wasn't Jewish.
Shalit Speaks
Noam Shalit, father of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, criticizes government, says Israel should consider freeing Palestinian prisoners: ‘What are they waiting for? Everything has its price’
Enemy of the people
But Noam Shalit, the father of a soldier taken captive, woke up one day and discovered that not only did he have to face the nightmare of having a son in captivity, but at the same time he had also become an enemy of the people.
The Almagor terror victims group no less than began a campaign against Shalit's request to negotiate the release of prisoners in exchange for his son. Talkbackers took it one step further, by tacking the next bus bombings on Gilad's skinny shoulders, and criticized the weak father for failing to symbolize a little scrappy Zionist resilience, for failing to put forth a message that "we're not leaving."
For their part, security and strategic experts have tried to turn Gilad into a sacrifice, but for what, exactly? Does anyone really think Gilad's fate will have anything to do with continued Qassam fire or bringing down the Hamas government or bring an end to terrorism? Doesn't this remind you of anything?
Learning from history
Once upon a time, not so long ago, Palestinian gunmen shot an Israeli diplomat named Argov. It happened a long period of Katushya rocket fire from Lebanon on Kiryat Shmona, and then, too, the issue involved a government that didn't find favor in our eyes.
The Israeli government, like many others – was great at absorbing hits on outlying cities, but a bit less so when talking about national pride and symbols – decided to really give it to them. Many years (and dead and wounded soldiers, not to mention ferocious battles and hatred) later we pulled out of Lebanon.
The Lebanese now have an elected government and Hizbullah, which every once in a while reminds us that they are also still around. Not much has changed.
Never-ending loop
Palestinian representatives become legitimate negotiating partner in Israeli eyes a minute after they lose their relevance in Palestinian eyes. They are then traded in for new, more extreme models – who are therefore irrelevant to Israel. It is a never-ending loop.
The Hamas government was elected in democratic elections (The group's surprise victory reminded me of the morning half of Israel woke up stunned that Bibi Netanyahu won our elections). Their victory was in no small part due to Israel's destruction of Mahmoud Abbas' leadership.
As soon as we recognize Hamas as the government of the Palestinian people that we, for better or worse, are destined to share the land of our joint fathers, we can begin to negotiate.
In the long run, maybe we'll even get a peace treaty out of it, but at this stage, practical agreements that would bring about the release of Gilad Shalit, as well as active negotiations and a total ceasefire, on both sides.
Just the facts
Those who take the time to read the news, rather than responding with a talkback after glancing past the headline, certainly know that one of the conditions for releasing Gilad Shalit is the release of women prisoners and those under the age of 18.
Those interested in facts also know that it was not only the wall, but Hamas' call to halt strikes against Israel that brought about a reduction in such attacks. And while we repeat our mantra over and over that there is nobody to talk with, and we mistakenly kill civilians over and over, Palestinian representatives drafted a document intended to be an agreed-upon platform for diplomatic negotiations.
Just try to think about all this before firing off the next talkback saying not to release terrorists "because the Arabs only understand force."
Efrat Roman-Asher is a script writer and author
