5 minutes for Gilad
New campaign to mark minute of silence for every year kidnapped soldier is held in Hamas captivity. Protest organizers: We must remind country's leaders that we haven't forsaken Gilad
At 11 am on Tuesday, March 15, Israel's citizens will be asked to stop what they're doing and observe five minutes of silence – one for every year kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit has been in Hamas captivity.
The campaign organizers hope that as many people as possible will leave their homes, offices and classrooms and get out of their cars in the middle of the road – in order to remind the country's leaders that the people of Israel have not forsaken Gilad.
"My goal is to get two million people who care out on the street," said businessman and former General-Manager of the Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer tclub Roni Sidi, 50, who is behind the campaign.
"While we eat breakfast, go watch a movie, play tennis or simply watch TV, our soldier is sitting in a dark and rancid dungeon deep inside Gaza, waiting for us to come to his rescue for over 1,700 days," Sidi said.
"We must show the government that the people of Israel have had their say and want Gilad home," he said.
According to Sidi, he and his friends contributed their own money to fund the campaign, which is estimated to cost around NIS 50,000 (about $14,000.)
Gilad's parents, Noam and Aviva Shalit, met with Sidi and gave the project the green light.
"On the day of the protest we won't even need to go out on the road," said Noam Shalit, adding "We live on the road, and of course we'll take part in it."
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