Arrogance and listen to what Hamas has to say. Simple as that. Other wise,Gilad will only age in their captivity with out getting the chance to see the free world again.

Gilad Shalit is a distant relative of mine but in fact he's everyone's son. Steinitz projects the hard man image from a government that is the 2nd not to have achieved Gilad's freedom. His are empty words which have helped no one and succeeded in nothing. This is also the 2nd Netanyahu government which is fulfilling the pattern of the 1st - making a lot of noise - like this Steinitz tough statement - but doing nothing. Time they went.

Hopefully, he is still alive and well. We exchanged a good no. of pal prisoners for 2 bodies. Pls, Steinitz explain this unreasonable delay.

That your government with no head, no heart ,so no right decisions

What preceded Shalit capture was a family killed on the Gaza beach after israel fired 10 missiles at them. http://bit.ly/9Yay0c The israel lied about it. Hamas had given 6 mos peace while Israels assassinations continued. After G. Shalits capture Israel arrested 64 hamas, 38 parliment members including kidnapping and arrest of Mustafa and Osama Muamar from Gaza, and they beat their old and frail father. Marwan Bargouti is still in prison and many others too. assassination continued. Israel has only one tool, and it's not peace. You need different leaders. Only the weak use war.

We cannot release the murderers of hundreds of Israelis in terror attacks however we can release those who do not have blood on their hands. My question to the Minister is how can wee ease the blockade in return for nothing? Obviously weapons are going to be smuggled into Gaza and thus further endanger the lives of Israels. It is time to tell our soldiers and people that if they are captured they are on their own! Minister Steinitz, the right thing to do is to tighten the stranglehold on Gaza until the barbarians holding Gilad are forced by their own to give him back IN ONE PIECE! So the world will hate us a bit more and our friend, the USA which has turned its back on Israel, will demand and threaten. Its not Obama's child who is being held by Hamas and I wonder, if it was, how long would it take him to seen in the 101st Airborne? One might ask you, Minister Steinitz and your boss, Prime Minister Netanyahu, what you would do if one of your kids, G-d forbid, was in the same situation as Gilad? If it was mine, I would probably raise bloody hell in Jerusalem, Washington, London, Paris, Moscow, Beijing and every bloody place on earth! I would not ease the blockade and I would tell you politicians that, while you are glued to your seats for a few years, the time will come to kick you out as with Gilad, Mavhooh and the "Flotilla" you have failed and jeopardized the lives of Israelis and Jews all of the world!

....away the key. He has relaxed the Gaza blockade and got nothing in return as far as Shalit goes or anything els for that matter. In due time you will see Hamas respond with "war"

Who will be responsible for the victims killed and injured ant/or kidnapped by the Arab murderers as the consequence of the released Arab prisoners in exchange for Shalit, The Shalit family? The Israeli politicians? What will they have to tell to the families of the victims?... Real leaders have plenty of power in the refusal to bargain. A leader should be strong and courageous! More over the problem of kidnapped soldiers at : http://xrl.us/em3de

It doesn't help to qualify Hamas as terrorist. Israel has been involved in punative attacks and oppression that are even more terroristic. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3266818,00.html Would you expect Jews to lay down and just die?

That was later proven to be a Pallywood production, just like Muhammad al Dura http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzsCBFhCsyY

Everybody loves 'Frisco. But most of us are fed up with Frisco airheads like KMansfield who give us glib slogans like "Only the weak use war. " Gosh, Salma, this Frisco freedom freak is saying that you Palestinians are weak. I mean, come on now, Palestinians have used "armed struggle" for decades as your "legitimate resistance to the occupation." After all those brave Palestinian martyrs killed hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians, this KMansfield is calling you Pals a bunch of weaklings. Hamas is weak? Crikey, I thought you Pals keep telling us how strong Hamas is - all the while Hamas keeps saying the solution is war, not peace. Just when we thought you guys were getting strong, here comes reality from California to throw snowballs in your picnic barbeque. Darn. And by the way, Mansfield, what preceded the attack that left several soldiers dead and wounded and the kidnapping of Shalit was several years of Palestinian war crimes - yes, firing rockets at Israeli civilians is indeed a war crime (Goldstone said it, not me). Not to mention, of course, the years of Hamas and Fatah car bombings, suicide bombings and shootings of Israeli civilians - all war crimes. The Palestinians used to have a tool called peace negotiations, but they became weak and resorted to war. The Palestinians are still weak and refuse to negotiate directly. They still think that war is an option. Just ask Hamas.

Face it, folks, after 4 years our government has shown that it can't do the job and get Shalit released. Many people have proposed that Israel treat all Hamas prisoners in the exact same way that Hamas is treating Shalit. Yes, that means violating international law, but then again the Palestinians really never cared for such laws except when they were good for bashing Israel. So here is where Steinitz should stand up and show us his cajoles: 1) Steinitz - stand up and declare that you are in favor of immediate equality of conditions with Shalit, even though Hamas is violating international laws. 2) An immediate ban on all contacts with Hamas prisoners. No lawyers, no family, no Red Crescent, no letters, no phone calls. 3) In 2011, one Hamas prisoner will be allowed to send a short letter written by Israel security officials to his family. 4) In 2012, one Hamas prisoner will be video taped giving a statement written by Israeli security officials. 5) A prisoner transfer will take place between Israeli prisons so that nobody will know exactly where any of the Hamas prisoners are being held. These conditions will be relaxed a day after Hamas allows International Red Cross/Crescent doctors to examine GIlad Shalit. In return, a single visit will be allowed to Hamas prisoners by the Red Cross/Crescent. Get it, Steinitz? Either come up with solutions, or get out of politics.