Aviva Shalit urges ministers to back exchange deal
Captive soldier's mother urges forum of seven senior ministers to back prisoner exchange deal securing son's release, says, 'Each vote is either a death sentence or freedom for Gilad'
Shortly before the forum of seven senior ministers convene once again to discuss the fate of a prisoner exchange deal for the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit, his mother, Aviva, said: "I hope the forum of seven makes a decision today. Each vote is either a death sentence or freedom for Gilad."
Aviva Shalit's comments were made in an Army Radio interview, saying, "I can understand the scope of the dilemma. It is difficult for us as well, but Gilad has been sitting (in captivity) for 1,275 days now. This is three-and-a-half years. All the mistakes were made during this time, and it can't be that all these days have yielded nothing to bring about Gilad's release, and it is unfathomable that he be left there and abandoned after all this time.
"His situation is reversible, and he can be brought back to life. Right now he is in a death-like state there in the cellars of Gaza, and he can be returned to us. The entire world sees that this is a living soldier."
Commenting on the failures of the past, she said, "There is no point to go back, these are mistakes that were made from the instance of the kidnapping to when Hagai (Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's envoy in Shalit talks) entered the picture.
Ministers were greeted by figures of Gilad Shalit (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
"He could have been returned already, if things were carried out more wisely and with more thought put into them than has been done."
Regarding the protest strategy the family chose to take to advance their son's release, Shalit said, "You can never know what the right course of action is, we are doing what we see fit, what matches our character. I cannot change my skin. This is Noam and this is me, this is our family. This may work against us, but this is us."
Shalit's brother, Yoel, awaits the forum of seven (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
Dozens of activists from the headquarters of the campaign for the release of Gilad Shalit gathered Monday morning outside the Prime Minister's Office and placed life-sized pictures of Gilad in his IDF uniform and called out to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Bibi, finish what you started."
Noam Shalit, father of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, said upon arrival: "It won't help if we sit at home and wait for the verdict." When asked whether he thought a conclusion would be reached today, Shalit said: "I very much hope so. A decision should already be made, also in the Hamas – it's time to end the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza."
The director of the campaign for Gilad Shalit, Shimshon Libman, said: "I would like to personally address Bugi (Minister Moshe Ya'alon). You were Chief of Staff; you have an extraordinary duty to return a soldier home. You were brought up and educated on this value, and kept it while serving as Chief of Staff. Today, as a statesman, you must make this decision."
Libman compared the seven ministers to courthouse judges, saying that "today is the moment of truth; this negligence must be stopped before it becomes an accepted norm in our society. We must not reach another Ron Arad tragedy. The ministers are like judges in the courthouse that must decide between a life and death sentence."
Monday morning the forum of seven is slated to meet again to discuss the Shalit deal. On Sunday, Netanyahu convened ministers Ehud Barak, Avigdor Lieberman, Moshe Ya'alon, Binyamin Begin, Dan Meridor and Eli Yishai on three different occasions. The prime minister objects releasing prisoners to the West Bank because of concerns that releasing those who were apprehended during or after the second intifada will help rebuild Hamas' terror infrastructure that suffered greatly in recent years.Israel is demanding these terrorist be transferred to the blockaded Gaza Strip, where they can cause less harm, or have them deported abroad.
As of now, it seems ministers Ehud Barak, Dan Meridor, Eli Yishai and also Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi are in favor of the deal. Mosad Chief, Meir Dagan on the other hand, is said to be against it.
Director of Shin Bet,Yuval Diskin, said he did not think it would be a wise decision to allow "VIP" terrorists back to the West Bank, due to the security risk this might involve.
Meanwhile, the public debate between those opposed and those in favor of the Shalit deal continues. A mailer published on Monday morning presented a picture of Shalit in captivity, with his head replaced with that of Yair Netanyahu and the text: "Netanyahu, act is if it was your own son." The campaign for Gilad Shalit claimed they were not familiar with the image, and did not know who was responsible for circulated it.
