Twelve days after leaving Mitzpeh Hila in the Galilee, where First Sergeant Gilad Shalit grew up, the march for freeing Shalit reaches Jerusalem Thursday, where it is to end at Independence Park (Gan HaAtzmaut) at city center. The march will block the main entrance to the capital along with other streets in the city.
Gilad Shalit's parents, Noam and Aviva, have vowed to set up their protest outside the Prime Minister's office and not to go back home until their son is freed. The parents and their supporters believe the IDF should pay any price demanded by Hamas for Shalit's return, including the release of terrorists who have murdered hundreds of Israelis and will likely murder hundreds more.
Once they reach the city, the protesters will face a counter-demonstration, under the slogan “not at any price.” The counter-protest will begin at the main entrance to the city and reach the Prime Minister's Residence. Its organizers told Arutz Sheva's Hebrew service that the public demand for carrying out the deal is actually weakening Israel's position in negotiations for Shalit, raising the price that Hamas is demanding and causing the postponement of Shalit's release.
"The gushing emotions and the sense of mission influence many people to support an action that the mind objects to,” said an unnamed organizer. “Almost every one of us – assuming he uses rational considerations – will immediately reach the desired conclusion: That a deal 'at any cost' is national irresponsibility and its damage to society is great.”