Israel’s mainstream newspapers and electronic media have eased into an eerie silence after the failure of another campaign backing the freeing of hundreds of Arab terrorists in return for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
The soldier, whose physical and psychological conditions are not known, nor whether he is alive, has been held captive by Hamas and allied terrorists since June 24, 2006. His 23rd birthday was noted last Friday with headlines that his release was imminent.
The media’s enthusiasm was based on a Der Spiegel report, which may also have an interest in promoting the proposed deal because it has been mediated by German security and intelligence officials.
However, the proposal essentially was the same one that Hamas rejected last February after the Olmert Cabinet accepted security officials’ recommendations that the most murderous of the terrorists be deported to outside of Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
Nevertheless, Israel’s major newspapers and Voice of Israel government radio played up the Der Spiegel story, until Arab media 48 hours later, quoting Hamas sources, dismissed a deal as far from being completed.
Realizing that its enthusiasm accomplished the same null result as previous fanfare hyping a supposed imminent release of Shalit, Voice of Israel almost completely silenced the issue after its newscasters had peppered reports with hopeful expressions for the release of terrorists.
Yediot Acharonot, the country’s largest newspaper and a leader of the campaign, tried to put the blame for the lack of a deal on the Netanyahu government and Hamas. "A mediator will not suffice if there is no brave leadership that will make unpopular decisions,” it stated.
The Nana10 website lashed out at the media agenda as not only failing to help Shalit but also possibly making it harder to gain his release. "Israel already suffered a painful defeat in the public awareness sphere vis-à-vis Hezbollah during the two years until the bodies of Eldad Regev and Udi Goldwasser were returned. The ritual is repeating itself as Hamas successfully exploits the information vacuum in the Israeli media regarding the Shalit deal, thus increasing public pressure on the Government," wrote op-ed writer Shai Atias.
He called on the Israeli media "not to respond to every bit of cheap manipulation by Hamas. Perhaps we ought to be silent, for Gilad."