Saturday, June 25, 2011

Gilad Shalit - Another Day, Another Year


















Today marks five years - 5 years! - that Gilad Shalit has been held captive by terrorist group Hamas. Yesterday, on War On Terror News, I reported that Hamas is still refusing the Red Cross access to Gilad Shalit. At the end of that report was this:

On Thursday Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he would remove privileges for terror-prisoners exceeding strict legal obligations in response to Hamas' decision.

"The party is over," Netanyahu said.


More here.

I have written about Gilad many times, as the terrorists who kidnapped him five years ago today, seem to believe they can act with impunity, demand ridiculous concessions. Truth is, thus far, Israel's response has reinforced to Hamas - who prove daily that human life means nothing to them - that they can demand anything they like, up to and including the release of hundreds of terrorists whose only goal is to kill many Israelis, and yet still the whereabouts of Gilad remain unknown.

Last year on this day, I wrote a column called Every Mother's Son. In it, I quoted Israeli Soldier's Mother, who said:

Thursday, June 24, 2010

When Words Fail...

Sometimes, you become overwhelmed by the sadness, by the futility of fighting against the wind. Sometimes, you know there is nothing you as a single person can do to change even this small thing. Sometimes, you want to do it all...and know there is nothing that can be done at your level.

I am not a leader of a country, not even of my own home. I am not a politician who can sway crowds with a speech or rock countries with my demands. I am a mother whose heart cries today for another mother. I salute Aviva Shalit, her courage, her strength. I pray for her son every day and today, more than any other....


And she ends with this:


All I can give Gilad today is my prayers for him. Be safe, be healthy, may you know the world over today people are praying for you, sending their love and hope and most of all, may you come home soon....


She has more to say, and a video here.


At the end of that column I wrote:


Today - and every day - I stand with Gilad and his mother Aviva.


(More here)


Netanyahu now says: The party is over.


Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said benefits and privileges enjoyed by terrorists in Israeli prisons would be revoked following Hamas' refusal Thursday to allow the International Red Cross to visit kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit.

“I have decided to change Israel’s policy toward terrorists siting in Israeli jails," Netanyahu said at the closing event of the Israeli President's conference...


More at Israel National News here.


I pray this is so. No more appeasement of those terrorist scum. No more 'concessions.' No more.

Gilad is in my heart and my prayers. Every.single.day.


For more on how Israel marked this day, go here.


Some of my previous columns on Gilad Shalit:

Song For Gilad

For You, Gilad


B*N*S*N: Gilad is 23 today

A Father's Cry to the World

Gilad Shalit: Can This be True?



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