Zvi Shalit: Time to atone for Gilad's abandonment
Kidnapped soldier's grandfather writes letter to prime minister ahead of Yom Kippur, pleads him to 'make amends for horrible sin of forsaking my grandchild in captivity'
Ahead of Yom Kippur, Zvi Shalit, the grandfather of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, turned to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and asked him to do some soul-searching.
In a letter sent Thursday to the Prime Minister's Office, Shalit wrote, "I wonder, mister prime minister, does the fate of my grandson Gilad Shalit stand before your eyes on this Day of Atonement? Is it not time to make amends for the horrible sin of forsaking my grandchild in captivity?"
Gilad's grandfather also reminded the prime minister that his eldest son, Yoel Shalit, was murdered by the Syrians 37 years ago, during Yom Kippur war.
"Gilad followed Yoel's footsteps, joined the armored forces and was taken captive. Gilad's fate does not have to be the same as Yoel's. It is in your hands to change the ending of this human tragedy and bring him home," he wrote.
Zvi Shalit also commented on the public protest and protest tent, which has been standing in front of the prime minister's Jerusalem residence for almost two months.
"I plead with you – listen to the multitude of Israel who demands Gilad's release.
They too understand that releasing a group of terrorists, as awful as they may be, will not change the power balance in the region.
"The security establishment can guarantee the safety of Israel's citizens; this has been stated by dozens of generals in the past and the present, including heads of Shin Bet and Mossad, chiefs of staff and command chiefs," Shalit wrote.
"The citizens of Israel understand that the moral price we will all pay for not returning Gilad and breaking the pact between the State and its soldiers is much higher than the risk involved in making a deal to return Gilad," he added.
- Follow Ynetnews on Facebook
