A rally, organized by various European Jewish organizations, is supposed to be attended by “thousands of Jews and representatives of Jewish communities all around Europe”, as the first of many actions to be taken by a group calling itself the Public Campaign for the Release of Kidnapped Soldiers. If it does not influence the parliament to at least get a sign that the soldiers are alive, the protest is meant to at least show solidarity with the abducted soldiers Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit and their families. In preparation for the rally, organizers say family members of the kidnapped soldiers have asked for meetings with leading European politicians. “Only a few have agreed so far,” they say.
According to a statement by The Public Campaign for the Release of the Kidnapped Soldiers, "After four months without any information about the wellbeing and whereabouts of soldiers, it is about time that the European countries who signed the 1701 resolution will fulfill their moral and legal obligation to do anything in their power to promote the return of the soldiers".
“European countries, who signed resolution 1701 of the UN Security Council, must take responsibility and promote the return of the kidnapped soldiers,” a flyer for the protest reads. Clauses in the resolution that relate to the return of Goldwasser and Regev, whose abduction by Hizbullah terrorists sparked this summer's war along the Israeli-Lebanese border, are the least prominent parts of Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the hostilities.
Chairman of the European Committee for the Kidnapped Soldiers and head of the "Ziyona" organization, Roger Pinto, initiated the rally together with the Public Campaign for the Release of the Kidnapped Soldiers, the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization.
The demonstration will coincide with the parliament's opening session. "The specific positioning and timing of the rally were chosen with the aim to pressure the European countries who signed the 1701 resolution of the UN Security Council, and therefore are responsible for the well-being and safe return of Ehud and Eldad,” Pinto explains. “Europe also assists the Palestinian Authority, where Gilad Shalit is being held, and therefore is obligated to help in his release as well.”
The protest will take place outside the European Parliament building on Rue Wiertz/Wiertzstraat, beginning at 2 PM Brussels time on Wednesday. The parliament, directly elected by EU citizens once every five years, is the only part of the EU body that is democratic.