Fighting for Shalit
Photo: Guy Asayag
Young Israelis march for Shalit
'Gilad fought for us, and now it's our turn to fight for him,' one demonstrator says
About 150 young Israelis belonging to the forum for Gilad Shalit's release marched in Jerusalem Friday in a bid to promote the captive soldier's release.
The march ended at the protest tent opposite the Prime Minister's Office in the capital.
Ofir Munin, who belongs to the forum's young guard, said: "During the march we focused on displays that were blindfolded or chained…we urge the people of Israel to end the euphoria they have been experiencing ever since the publication of the Shalit videotape."
Jerusalem rally (Photo: Guy Asayag)
"Gilad may turn into a second Ron Arad," Munin warned. "It was the same story with him. We had a sign of life and everyone became complacent. They said he is alive, people were happy, and did not fight for his release."
The young demonstrator said that his group is aiming to keep the Shalit affair on the national agenda and "remind the people of Israel that friendship and sacrifice are values found at the heart of our nation."
"Gilad fought for us, and now it's our turn to fight for him," he said. "We are willing to do everything for our state, but we want this situation to be reciprocal."
The march was attended by teenagers, students, families with children, and IDF reservists from across the nation. One of the protest organizers, 17-year-old Rotem Bitshem from Jerusalem, noted that this is the fourth Passover that Gilad Shalit spends in captivity.
"It's been 1,377 days," she said. "It makes no sense that the nation is indifferent and is not doing anything."
