Shalit activists protest outside Barak's home
Reservists relay letter to defense minister saying, 'It's time for you to act; Gilad's fate is a reflection of Israeli society's moral resilience'
Some 100 people, among them IDF reservists and soldiers in compulsory duty gathered outside Defense Minister Ehud Barak's Tel Aviv home on Friday and called on the government to work towards securing Gilad Shalit's release.
The reservists asked to relay a letter to Barak demanding that he take personal responsibility for the captive soldier's fate and expedite the negotiations for his release.
Barak's wife, Nili Priel, accepted the letter and promised to hand it to the defense minister. Barak was not home at the time of the rally.
In the letter, the reservists said the blow dealt to Hamas during Operation Cast Lead, coupled with the deepening rift within Palestinian society, has increased the chances for Shalit's release in the near future.
"We have watched how all of our achievements during the offensive have been compromised over time," they wrote. "Also, we protested the fact that Gilad's release was not declared as one of the goals of the offensive or as one of the conditions for the army's withdrawal from Gaza.
"As reserve soldiers who raise their children on values of sacrifice and dedication, and are willing to sacrifice all that is important to them for the sake of this nation and country, we are telling you that Gilad's fate is a reflection of Israeli society's moral resilience," the letter read.
The demonstrators chanted slogans in favor of releasing Shalit "at all costs".
"No more talk; the time has come for you (Barak) to act," they chanted.
Gilad Shalit was captured by Palestinian terrorists on June 25, 2006 during a cross-border raid on an IDF base near Gaza.
The demonstration took place as Noam Shalit, the captive's father, was holding meetings with top US officials in Washington in an effort to garner the Obama administration's support for a deal between Israel and Hamas that would see Gilad returned to Israel in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
