Noam Shalit at Maccabi game (archives)
צילום: אלי אלגרט
Noam Shalit attends soccer match in son's honor
'Please do everything possible to bring Gilad back,' captive soldier's father asks of prime minister
Noam Shalit attended a soccer game on Monday evening which was dedicated to his son, captive soldier Gilad Shalit. The game was held between Hapoel Nazareth Illit and Beitar Jerusalem, at the former team's home field.
"As Gilad's father and in the name of Aviva, his mother, we want to cry out to the prime minister and all of the decision-makers," Shalit, who was named guest of honor, said before the game.
"Please do anything possible to end this affair and bring Gilad back to us, for our sakes and for the sake of the State of Israel and its soldiers, who look to you yearningly and ask whether the state backs them and does not abandon them."
Shalit also thanked the mayor and the 2,500 spectators who attended the event "in order to back our efforts to release our son and bring him back home to his family, after having waited for 1,233 days and nights".
The father added, "This is what makes the Israeli people special. All of the people of Israel back each other, and there is no greater mitzvah than than the redemption of prisoners."
On an optimistic note Shalit said, "Let us hope that the tape in which we first saw Gilad will constitute tidings of the blessed actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that he will complete the first step he has taken and fulfill his duty as a brave leader to end this sad affair."
Beitar Jerusalem gave Shalit a shirt signed by all of the team's members, on which Gilad's name was printed. Two months ago he received the same honor from members of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Gilad's favorite team.
