Protestors in Caesarea
Photo: George Ginsburg
Protestors urge PM to advance Shalit's release
Dozens welcome Shabbat outside Netanyahu's home in Caesarea. 'He is busy with his coalition and politics instead of caring for Gilad,' event's organizer explains
Dozens of citizens on Friday evening welcomed the Shabbat outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's
house in Caesarea and called on him to advance the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
The event's organizers brought along a wooden Merkava tank which is being carried across the country as part of the campaign for the captive's release.
Yaron Sagi, a regiment commander in reserve service, said during the rally that soldiers have told him they are willing to be killed or injured because they know the State would take care of them, but are afraid to be taken captive because they know they would be abandoned.
Welcoming Shabbat outside PM's home (Photo: George Ginsburg)
"The fact that Gilad is still in captivity damages the concept of friendship between soldiers in the army," Sagi explained. "The friendship in this case is dissolved, and it's more dangerous than releasing Barghouti or other security prisoners."
Magen Dahari, who has been organizing the Friday events outside the prime minister's private residents in the past few months, said: "We are demanding that Netanyahu release Shalit. We have been writing to him and he hasn't been answering, so we have come to his house again to make him hear us. Netanyahu is busy with his coalition and politics instead of caring for Gilad."
'Gilad's tank' in Caesarea (Photo: George Ginsburg)
Dahari added, "We know there is a majority, in the opposition as well, if he makes a decision to release prisoners with blood on their hands. Such a decision will also be welcomed by the residents of Israel, and we are willing to collect signatures from the residents if this is needed."
Dahari protested the conditions of Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel. "While Gilad is rotting in captivity, the security prisoners in Israel are living a good life in our prisoners, studying and living in much better conditions than they would have in Gaza."
