Noam Shalit, father of captive soldier
Photo: Tsafrir Abayov
Noam Shalit at Erez: No end in sight
Father of captive soldier speaks at opening ceremony of Dessert Queen expedition at Erez crossing, not far from where son Gilad was kidnapped into Gaza Strip. This year's journey is held under banner: 'Gilad Shalit, where are you child?' with relatives of fallen soldiers also taking part
Ever since Israel received a sign of life from captive soldier Gilad Shalit in the form of a video tape, there has been no further progress in talks towards securing his release, but the public struggle continues.
On Wednesday, the soldier's parents Aviva and Noam attended the opening ceremony of the Desert Queen expedition at Erez crossing near Gaza. This year's expedition is being held under the banner: "Gilad Shalit, where are you child?"
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"I thank you for your support and sympathy, for your making your voices, the voice of a mother, heard," Noam Shalit told the dozens of women embarking on the week-long ATV journey.
"Just like your journey, our journey started not far from here, 1,221 long days ago, and it continues, and it is long and exhausting and we still cannot see its end."
Shalit expressed hopes that his family's journey "reaches its end, and the first spot the Gilad will come to is the tent that we set up here to remind everyone that enters Gaza that Gilad is still here."
The Israeli expedition includes female participants from around the gold, including Tair Regev, sister-in-law of Eldad Regev and Dafna Avraham, sister of Benny Avraham, two Israeli solders were declared MIA until their corpses were returned.
"Living in the shadow of bereavement is hard enough, but living in the shadow of uncertainty is seven times as hard and is like a raft on the raging waters with no haven of rest in sight," Dafna Avraham said at the ceremony.
"I join the expedition out of deep identification with Aviva, Noam, Yoel and Hadas' pain. The period of suffering will only be over when the story ends well with Gilad coming home on both his legs into his family's arms. I wish to support you, dear family, you are not alone. We, all the people of Israel, with representatives here with us, are with you in your struggle and your pain. This is little consolation in the dark sea of uncertainty."
