Shalit activists prevent visitation of Palestinian inmates
Protestors halt buses carrying visitors of inmates convicted of terror crimes to hand out fliers saying they want same rights for kidnapped soldier. Noam Shalit: 'Hope protest reaches the right ears'
Protests also took place near the Hadarim and Shikma prisons. Four activists were arrested near Hadarim for protesting on the road before police cleared out the protestors and allowed buses carrying visitors to enter the prison grounds.
Noam Shalit, Gilad's father, came to encourage the demonstrators. "This week, as we mark Gilad's birthday, it is important that the public hear him. It's important that the protest reach the right ears," he said.
"Our aim was to encourage Hamas leaders not to take visitation privileges for granted, as long as they are not taken for granted for Gilad as well. And for Gilad not only are they not taken for granted – we've barely been able to exchange a note with him for three years."
Miki Goldwasser, the mother of slain IDF reservist Ehud Goldwasser, was also present at Megiddo Prison. "Ehud is resting, but my struggle is not over. It will end only when Gilad returns home," she told the rally, adding that the families of Palestinian prisoners should be forbidden from visiting them "as long as no one is permitted to visit Gilad".
Police allowed protestors to stop buses carrying Palestinian visitors in order to hand out fliers to the passengers. One activist explained that they were demanding the Red Cross visit Shalit.
The protestors handed out letters to Palestinian mothers explaining why they would not be allowed to leave the buses.
Protest at Megiddo Prison (Photo: Tsafrir Abayov)
"We are here in the name of Gilad Shalit, who also wants a visit. Gilad has a birthday on Friday, his fourth birthday in captivity, without a visit from his parents, a representative, or even a neutral official. How would you feel if you were denied visitation? How have Gilad's parents felt for the past three years?" the letter says.
"Instead of neighborly sentiment there is sadness, hatred, and much anger between our people. But even a prisoner who committed a crime and murdered a child with his own hands receives proper and respectful treatment in prison. And what of Gilad? Not a visit, and barely a letter. We are extracting a demand and a cry through you – Gilad gets a visit now. Don't take what you are getting for granted."
One bus carrying 55 visitors was detained for an hour before police allowed it through. The father of one inmate told Ynet, "We are not from Hamas but we need to demand Hamas allow the Shalits to see their son. If I could not see my son for three years I would miss him, too. This is personal, not politics. It's a state law and we are with the Jews on this."
On Monday the Shalits met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and his wife. Head of the Shalit campaign, Shimshon Libman, remarked positively on the meeting and said the current government "has a more empathetic and humane attitude".
Libman said the Shalits would "change their behavior" if "significant results" were not seen within the next few weeks. "We currently assume that negotiations are taking place, so we are conducting ourselves responsibly, always walking the fine line of more or less action. The current assumption is that now we must be moderate," he said.
