Or is he a member of the General Staff? Noam Shalit's statement is ridiculous and stupid. Gilads safety and survival is in all our hearts but the security of thousands of Israelis is at risk. We have to do what is good for country and the people and not for one individual.

we cannot let him hold us 'hostage' by keeping his captivity from allowing us to defend ourselves.

Your son is dead. mourn him and go on your way. Many have died since and you dont see their families making fools out of themselves. I am quite frankly pissed off at you. Let me give you a heads up. My own family lost a loved one in Israel over 25 years ago to your peace partners. No one badgered the government of Israel, we simply mourned our loss and went on with our lives. My dad who several years back was lying on his death bed in the throws of altzheimer and struggling to breath mouthed his name to me and shortly thereafter died. My father way way tougher than you. He survived auchwitz where his family of parents and three brothers perished. Our family never ever requested anything from the government of Israel. We simply cried and cried and here over 25 years later, my son who was named after my brother is one tough MF Jew. I wouldnt cross his path. That my friend is that we did. We grew a backbone. We didnt lick our wounds like wounded dogs rather we toughtened up. I suggest you do the same..You'll feel much better in the long run.

Speak for yourself you ruthless idiot...show some respect and commpassion for a family that lives every day in anguish if their son is alive or not....I salute the Shalit family..

What was said on Almanar about Shalit being injured in one of the early air strikes? Can YNET verify this and keep us informed?

I cant believe how stupid and selfish you are. Shalit was captured while doing his duty to protect and defend Israel, and now we abandon him? I am ashamed to be one of you poeople. Israel has died today.

With all due respect to Noam Schalit, he is not a member of the Security Cabinet, the government or the defense establishment. To think that he had the "right" to be consulted is egotistical in the extreme. Ron Arad has been missing for far longer and the family has behaved with much more dignity. Does he think that his statements do anything but make Hamas more stubborn about his son's possible return? What makes him think that Gilad will be returned in a way other than Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were returned? Remember who we are dealing with, please.

You are an idiot. If Shalit was your son, you would not be shooting your mouth like an insensitive pig.

Everybody wants Gilad back alive and well but at the same time the good of the majority must come first. Hundreds of rockets have been fired in just the week since the truce that never was ended, there was an article on here yesterday about a civilian who was killed and if these rockets are allowed to continue then he will be one of many. Gilad Shalit is one man and he is a soildler. We cannot allow Gilads saftey to come before the mission. It was also a mistake to inform Noam Shalit in advance, he is a father who is more concerned about the life of his son than anything else and there was also the possibillity he would have been irrisponsiblle and gone public with this information in the hope it would stop the operation going forward and it not putting Gilad in further danger.

all been like Noam Shalit, perhaps the political pressure to let shiploads of Jews into America would have saved many people who were turned back and most perished in Hitler's holocaust. Keeping Gilad Shalit's situation on the front burner may have deterred other kidnappings since people were more vigilant and on guard against such attacks. If Gilad Shalit had been forgotten, people would have become complacent. Gilad Shalit is a symbol as well as a person. There are many American POW's and MIA's still in SouthEast Asia and Russia as slaves, forgotten by most because there is no media or political pressure to release them. You needed an attaboy, so I give you one. But I also give Noam Shalit an attaboy. In your own way, you did well. In Noam Shalit's way, he did well, too.

kol hakavod to you both. we owe much to both of your families.