Outrage over Livni's statements on Shalit
Public organization dedicated to securing release of kidnapped soldier furious at foreign minister for saying Israel 'can't always bring everyone home,' lament decision to transfer 100 million shekels to Gaza Palestinians
"As a leader Tzipi Livni should do absolutely everything to find out what's happening with Gilad Shalit," an irate Yoel Marshak told Ynet on Thursday afternoon.
Marshak, who chairs the Headquarters for the Release of Gilad Shalit, was responding to comments made earlier in the day by Foreign Affairs Minister Livni. "We cannot always bring all of them home," she told students at a Tel Aviv high school during a discussion on Shalit the day the country somberly marked his 900th day in captivity.
"The thought that I can free Gilad and am not doing it is a horrible thought. We all want Gilad to come back home, but part of the willingness to fight is the understanding that we don't have any other choice.
"There is always a risk of casualties, and it's not always possible to bring everyone back home," Livni added at the meeting.
Marshak was also furious at Israel's decision to transfer NIS 100 million ($25 million) to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Thursday, to help ease the cash-flow crisis in the enclave's banks.
"We teach our sons to go to the army and volunteer to become officers and tell them we will do everything to ensure they come home. It's unacceptable that we don't even know what's happening with Gilad Shalit," said Marshak.
"It's true that not everyone comes home, I myself have fought in battles and seen my friends fall. We know where it is that we send our sons, because our country is not safe, but what does that have to do with anything?"
Cash arrives in Gaza
As Livni was addressing the students' questions Israel was in the process of transferring NIS 100 million ($25.5 million) to the Gaza Strip in an armored vehicles. The move was authorized by Defense Minister Ehud Barak following a request by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and the governor of the Bank of Israel, Stanley Fischer, due to the cash flow crisis in the Strip, which has caused a number of banks to shut down.
Marshak and his associates tried to prevent the armored car from entering Gaza, and stationed two vehicles near the Erez border terminal in the hopes of blocking its passage. However after a short delay the armored car was able to circumvent the block and enter Gaza.
"Just last week we saw the footage of Palestinian prisoners being visited by their mothers in jail, why can't Aviva and Noam Shalit do this too? Gilad is going to end up as the second Ron Arad," warned Marshak. "We're not even talking about the price for his return, just information, just to know if he's alive or dead."
