Released Israeli POWs weigh in on Shalit clip
'I saw it as a point of light, and assume it was also happy moment for Gilad,' says Uri Ehrenfeld, who fell captive in Yom Kippur War and whose voice was recorded and sent to Israel, just as Gilad's was. Tzvika Vered, on other hand didn't get to send a sign of life from Syria
The importance of a sign of life from the point of view of the captive: Many former prisoners of war watched the video of Gilad Shalit that was released on Friday and were reminded of the period they were held by Arab states. In a conversation with Ynet, some of them say this is a happy moment for the captive.
Uri Ehrenfeld, who fell captive to Egypt during the Yom Kippur War, told Ynet about the feelings of the captive who receives the privilege of sending a message to his family: "I saw in this then a point of light, and I presume that this is a happy moment for Gilad. You are being taken out of a prison cell, and then you are filled with hope that what is happening will really make it to Israel. It is an encouraging moment from my perspective."
The voice of Ehrenfeld, who was 20 when he fell captive, was played on Cairo Radio not as part of a brokered deal, but part of Egyptian propaganda. "I didn't know anything, but I hoped that it would reach my family, that they would know that I am speaking and breathing," said Ehrenfeld.
He said that he was kept in a prison cell during his captivity. In order to make the recording to be aired on the radio, he was taken out of the cell and was able to speak with his captors. "It was an hour of freedom from the prison cell. People don't understand what that means. It is an entire world," recounted Ehrenfeld.
Ehrenfeld believes that Gilad's captors told him what to say, just as his captors in Egypt dictated what he would say. "There is no doubt that the statements were dictated to him. There is no doubt that it was all staged from A to Z. He is sitting in solitary confinement, subject to the control of his captors. He doesn't control anything, nor is he independent," said Ehrenfeld.
However, according to Ehrenfeld, who was remained in Egyptian captivity for three months, the most important aspect of the video is that it is a sign of life: "I think this is the most important thing for us, for the captives who know what's what. It is less important how he looks because there is no doubt that it was all dictated and directed. He wore brand new clothes off the shelf."
Ehrenfeld also expressed hope that the video's broadcast would bring about significant progress in the negotiations for Gilad's release. "It seems to me at least that this is the beginning of a serious, real process between us and Hamas with hope that it there will be a continuation."
Captive in Syria: I would dream of a video tape
As opposed to Ehrenfeld who was lucky enough to send out a sign of life, Tzvika Vered, who fell into Syrian captivity during the Yom Kippur War, did not get to send any form of message to his family.
"I wanted to. I would dream about it. I fell captive after a few days of war. I already knew that they were interviewing people, and I wanted to broadcast this sign, but it didn't help. I knew that the hardest thing for the family is that there is no information. They don't know what is happening to me," said Vered.
Vered was held prisoner for eight months. Half way into his captivity, information was passed on to Israel that he was in Syria: "For us, the first information was received after four and half months. There was no information on some people. When the information that I was alive reached my wife, it was not longer important when we would return. That was marginal. It was also clear that we would return – something I presume is clear to the Shalit family."
On the possibility of passing on messages via videotape, Vered said, "First of all, Gilad is very young. He fell captive at a much younger age than I did. He was directed by whoever filmed him. He was dying to send some kind of message or sign so that his mother would know that it's him – some special smile. All in all, I think he managed to pass on the message just fine."
Vered said he does not know why Gilad Shalit brought up the issue of the excursion in the Golan Heights. "You can see that he was nervous and that his voice broke on certain words. He smiled once or twice," said Vered.
