Rallying for Gilad Shalit (archives)
Photo: Reuters
Dozens of people gathered outside the prime minister's private residence in Caesarea on Friday evening, calling on Benjamin Netanyahu
to work for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit
from Hamas
captivity.
The rally was attended by some 150 citizens, including members of the Scouts. The protestors welcomed Shabbat, sang songs and protested the fact that Shalit was still in captivity.
"It's unthinkable that Netanyahu changes his decisions in the case of the Ashkelon graves and the twins born in India, but won't do the same when it comes to Gilad," said one of the protest's organizers, Magen Dahari.
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"We have decided to lead the group pressure on Netanyahu, and we arrive outside his house every week," Dahari said. "Every week, more and more people take part in the protest. Our message to Netanyahu is that by failing to do something to release Shalit, he is creating a sense of animosity among the public. We are not against him, but we want him to put an end to this affair and have Gilad return home."
Noam Shalit, the captive's father, addressed the protestors on the phone and thanked them for their persistence. "I'm no there, but I'm with you," he said. "We draw encouragement from you ahead of the coming days. We are certain that we will still need you."
According to Dahari, "People leave their homes on Friday, give up the Shabbat meal, and come here to express their protest over the fact that Netanyahu has not done enough for Shalit's release.
"Netanyahu has proved that he can renege on decisions, like with the graves in the Ashkelon hospital and the twins banned from Israel, and put this issue on the government and state's agenda, while the Shalit issue is not on the agenda at all."
He added that Shalit campaign plans to bring the protest to main junctions across Israel. "We plan to block 60 crossroads all over the country in order to obtain a momentum of protest against the failure to free Gilad. We want to pressure Netanyahu."