posts here, accusing Mrs Bettancourt for vouching for Gilad beacuse mossad helped release her! I also add my voice to thanking her for standing up for Gilad Shalit ! Bless you!

The behavior of the terrorist organizations has two implications for the law applying to prisoners taken in Arab-Israeli conflicts. On the one hand, the organizations themselves illegally defy the laws of war by depriving Israeli POWs of their protected rights such as the right to contact Red Cross representatives and communicate with their families. On the other hand, the terrorists are not entitled to the protected status of POWs, and are subject to prosecution as war criminals. Indeed, these organizations fall under the definition of terrorist groups under such instruments as the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, and Israel – like other states – is legally obliged to take a variety of steps to foil the terrorists’ activities and bring them to justice. More at : http://xrl.us/kj6sj

pour ne pas qu on oublie TY FOR GILAD

Hostages were taken during the middle ages by Kings, Dukes, etc. The rules of war fare do not allow for hostages. The existence of hostages implies a retardation of human rights. The capture of Gillad Shalit who has been denied basic rights such as allowing the Red Cross access to see him or letters from his family to reach him is deplorable. Yet Hamas, FARC, Hezzbollah, Al Qaeda all use hostages during the course of daily business.

With all due respect to the former Colombian presidential candidate, she is advocating the release of one Israeli soldier who is considered a "hostage" while ignoring the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, most of whom are held with no evidence and many with no charges against them. What a hypocrite.

your sad moral equivalency doesn't apply. terrorists caught by israel get treated better than they deserve and yet receive the punishment they deserve. that's called JUSTICE and the world is a better place because of it.

Paris mayor was holding the same pamphlet, it look like it was imposed on her. Just retuning the favor to the French, the Zionist league of France is taking advantage of her to advance their agenda!!!

You really need to do some research rather than just blurt out your assumption. It makes you look very foolish. You have no platform to stand on. Even a prisoner in Israel has the ability to take visitors and and at least communicate with the outside world. Hamas and Hizbullah break the Geneva convention by taking so called IDF prisoners and no allowing the RED CROSS to verify their status. I hope your posts in the future are more informative.

Ryan's sentiments may make sense to some but they are wrong when it comes to international law. The Geneva convention clearly delineates between lawful combatants, unlawful combatants and civilians. Both combatant and civilians are entitled to protection under the convention while unlawful combatants have no such protection. So, an Israeli soldier taken as a POW, is entitled to protection including regular visits from the Red Cross. Civilians are protected from being targeted and from having combatants use their homes for combat. Unlawful combatants (terrorists, not in uniform) do not get such protection. So, Ryan, Gilad Shalit, is entitled to food, health care, safety, communications and visits from the Red Cross. Palestinians who attack or plan attack against civilians are not entitled to these protections. Betancourt is not a hypocrite but, in fact, reflects the international consensus on conflict as reflected in the Geneva Accords.

I'm sure the 600 palestinian kids in israeli jails ae all terrorists . So, even though they are kids , but , since israelis are so smart , they know that they will grow up to be terrorists .

Amongst all civilized people, a demand is made for decisive action. Only the olmert gang, the islamofascists, carter, and the ICRC don't care about our soldiers. SHUT DOWN gaza! No fuel, no food no electricty no exceptions. Free Gilad and then negotiate. Given the olmert gangs' history, the only way they'll act is if finds are deposited in their swis accounts

Gilad is innocent and they are terrorists. Thank you dear lady...you brought tears to my eyes just when I began to believe again that no one gives a damn about the Jews.

All of you need to go and do some more research. As a matter of fact, you need to open your eyes to reality. There are so called "terrorists" in Israeli jails but most of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are there for only opposing a brutal occupation that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians. That's the problem with Israelis, any Palestinian that opposes the occupation is deemed a terrorist or a threat and therefore thrown in jail regardless of the existence of evidence. This has nothing to do with hating Jews or Arabs. Its about justice and peace. Most of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are held there illegally. One Israeli soldier is NOT more important than 10,000 Palestinian prisoners. You need to open your eyes to what is happening on the ground ... enough inflicting all this injustice, killing, and suffering on the Palestinians. ENOUGH !

I have a friend from Columbia. Her family moved here because they threatened to kidnap her and her other siblings. It sounds like some of the people make the outside of the houses very plain so not to draw attention. It must happen an awful lot. More power to the people.

This picture of Gilat was not shown on French and Belgian TV. It did not reach out the world... Why don't the French start similar campaign to free Gilat as they did for Ingrid ?

I hope that all innocents prisoners and those who are held captive in this world to see the light again.

Communist insurgency, not socialist. Betn Gurion was a socialist, dictators such as Chavez, Castro, Mugabe are communists. Proper use of language is crucial in war against Hamas, Fatah, Hizbullah just as it is against Communism.

You're so obtuse, you even referenced your own comments in your rebuttal. Read #15's TB. Try presenting the facts like #15 has done instead of just spewing platitudes like "Its [sic] about justice and peace." Self-righteous sentiment alone does not make a convincing counter-argument.

The Mossad helped free Betancourt from captivity. She owes the Israelis who risked their lives to save her an enormous debt. Do you think that, after what she's been through, she shouldn't have any empathy for another hostage like Shalit, who is a French citizen too? Why shouldn't she use her influence to help those who have saved her life? Your cynicism is disgusting.

palestinains have it easy. i've been to the territories and gaza and they have it much better than regular citizens of egypt and jordan. when people act like terrorists and they suffer, don't feel sorry for them or defend such perverts (lest you are as perverted as they are).