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Rally for kidnapped soldiers: We will bring you home
Miki Goldwasser, Noam Shalit, Ora Mintz speak in rally marking 6 months since soldiers' kidnapping. Over 1,000 people attend rally, but not one MK or IDF representative shows up
Ahiya Raved
Miki Goldwasser, mother of kidnapped soldier Ehud Goldwasser, addressed her son who is being held captive in Lebanon at a rally that took place on the northern border marking six months since her son and another soldier Eldad Regev were kidnapped.
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| Marching north for the kidnapped soldiers / Roi Mandel |
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Relatives, friends, concerned citizens participate in procession marking 6 months since Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev's kidnapping by Hizbullah. 'We must remind gov't public awaits their return and will fight for it,' friend says |
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She addressed her son by saying: "The crowd here is crying your cries. I hope you can hear the voices and get the energy all the people are sending you… I am near, another minute and I will reach you and bring you home."
Despite invitations sent out, not a single member of the Knesset or official Israel Defense Forces representative showed up at the event.
The rally took place at the end of a long procession, leaving Friday morning from Jerusalem, heading all the way to the northern border.
Over 1,000 people took part in the rally. Eyal Regev, Eldad's brother, urged Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to declare that bringing the soldiers home is the top national goal.
"They are IDF soldiers who were abducted during a mission to protect the citizens of Israel. We are sure they are alive and waiting to be brought home," said Regev.
Noam Shalit, father of Gilad Shalit who was also kidnapped in Gaza six months ago said: "Because of failures of the military establishment and those that were in charge of the military establishment, soldiers were kidnapped from Israel's sovereign territory. There is no price for the lives of IDF soldiers, and Israel's leaders have proven than before."
Towards the end of the rally Ora Mintz, the mother of Raz Mintz, an IDF soldier who was killed five years ago in an attack on an IDF roadblock in the West Bank gave a speech.
"Recently the terrorist who was responsible for the attack in which my son was killed was sentenced to nine life sentences," she said. "In the name of bereaved parents I tell the government, I am willing to have my son's murderer released for the sake of bringing back these living soldiers."
At the end of the rally in Zerit, dozens of Eldad and Ehud's relatives, comrades and other citizens continued towards the point from which they were kidnapped.
Upon reaching the site, the soldiers who participated in the battle exchanged experiences from that horrible day and examined the changes that had occurred on the spot since then, especially in the think vegetation that helped the Hizbullah militants carry out their attack.
Friday morning dozens of vehicles of family members, friends and volunteers left in a long procession from Jerusalem, through Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Mizpe Hila to Zerit which is on the northern border. The procession marks six months since the soldiers were kidnapped.
"We know that this is on the top of the public's agenda, but we want to get it through to the heads of the public's representatives," said Ofer Regev, Eldad's brother.
"All night I couldn’t shut my eyes, I keep thinking about the moment when we reach the spot of the kidnapping," said Moti Maarvai, the sergeant major of the reserves company who was supposed to be on duty at the time but was attacked and replaced by Goldwasser.
I know the spot like I know myself and I have been there dozens of time, but this time, my stomach is really in knots. The leadership must be unified and devoted to the mission of bringing them home."
Azi Winkler, deputy company sergeant major and a friend of the two kidnapped soldiers said that "we must remind people in this country and in the government that there is a whole public who is waiting for their return home, and plans to fight for it. I am sure that Udi (Ehud) and Eldad are alive because two other soldiers left that Hummer alive. We will mention them every day, every minute, until they are brought back to us."
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