Thousands turned out in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square Monday evening for a rally marking the third High Holiday period kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is spending in the hands of Israel's enemies in Gaza. Drawing on the coming Yom Kippur holiday theme of forgiveness, the event included a communal apology to Gilad that the State of Israel has not yet obtained his freedom.
The rally, held under the banner "A Giant Apology, a Silent Prayer," was put together by The Square organization,
The event included a communal apology to Gilad.
which has been holding daily vigils in Rabin Square in honor of Shalit for several months. Among those addressing the crowd were Noam Shalit, Gilad's father, as well as Shlomo Goldwasser, the father of IDF soldier Ehud Goldwasser. Ehud, along with Eldad Regev, was kidnapped and murdered by the Lebanese Hizbullah, and their bodies were subsequently exchanged for jailed terrorists earlier this year. The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yonah Metzger, offered a prayer for Cpl. Shalit, who has been held by the Hamas terrorist regime in Gaza for nearly two and a half years.
Before the scheduled speakers took the podium, a microphone was set up in the Square to allow anyone who wanted to do so to publicly apologize to the Shalit family or to call for more vigorous action by the government to obtain Gilad's freedom. Well-known singers and entertainers took the stage throughout the evening.
'Don't Put the Gazans Before Gilad'
In their comments, both Shlomo Goldwasser and Noam Shalit expressed outrage that the government appeared to have more concern for the welfare of the residents of Gaza than for the return of the kidnapped soldier.
"Don't put the Gazans before Gilad," Goldwasser demanded of the government. "What is going on here? The frustrated citizen - who sees the cavalier way in which the issue of the kidnapped soldier is pushed to the fourth or fifth place in the order of priorities of the Israeli government and its elected officials - cannot believe his eyes. The retrieval of a soldier from the field of battle has been and will be a symbol motivating the boys and girls we send to protect us, to protect the state, the welfare allocations, the stock exchanges, the wealthy and, mainly, those who occupy the seats of power."
Noam Shalit seconded Goldwasser's comments, saying, "For 834 days, the basic human rights of the soldier Gilad Shalit have been denied him and have been abused, hour after hour, minute after minute. And among us, we talk about the human rights of the Gazans. Gilad is entitled to his human rights, to visits from the Red Cross, to contact with the outside world - just like the Gazans who elected Hamas are entitled to them, and just as their prisoners receive from us."