On June 25th 2006 Gilad Shalit was kidnapped when his unit was ambushed by Hamas terrorists: two other Israeli soldiers were killed. 4 years later Gilad Shalit is still in captivity and the pressure has been mounting on the Israeli government to exchange thousands of terrorists for his release.
Hamas is the ‘Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine’ and associated with the terror group, Muslim Brotherhood founded in Egypt. The Hamas charter states that all Jews should be killed as part of the Islamic redemption
They are responsible for countless terror attacks during the first and second intifada that left scores of Israeli’s dead. Not long after gaining control of Gaza in 2006, Hamas went to war with Fatah and squashed any political dissent with more than 500 Palestinians killed during this infighting.
There are two routes to freedom for Gilad Shalit. The first is that Israel gives into Hamas’ demands. The second is that the world unites in an effort to persuade Hamas to release Gilad Shalit unconditionally. Let’s take a closer look at the efficacy and ramifications of each.
If Israel gives into their demands it will empower Hamas to kidnap again and the price that Israel pays for one soldier may well set the price tag for future ransoms. In addition, such a deal would only further empower Hamas both at home and abroad. They would be seen as heroes in the Palestinian territories and likely be heavily favored in the next Palestinian elections.
That being said, there is every chance that as any deal approaches that Hamas will increase their demands.
The second scenario is for the world to make a concerted effort to pressure Hamas to release Gilad Shalit. This would require a worldwide consensus to completely isolate Hamas. Only then would the terror group start to feel the need to release Gilad Shalit without preconditions. There are already a few impediments for this scenario. Countries like Russia, Norway and Turkey fully recognize Hamas as a legitimate political party and many other countries in Europe have sent legislators to meet with Hamas. This diplomacy emboldens Hamas and does nothing to towards a solution.
In Israel the pressure has focused on the Israeli government to give in to Hamas’ demands i.e. go for scenario one. The Free Gilad Shalit movement organizes many rallies around the world. While some call for his unconditional release, the majority of rallies are centered on pressuring the Israeli government. So far this has been an unsuccessful strategy. After 4 years of captivity Gilad Shalit has yet to be visited by the International Red Cross, a direct violation of the 4th Geneva Convention.
If you believe in human rights, freedom and dignity you have a responsibility to do something for Gilad Shalit.
So what can you do to help?
- Ask your local legislator to call for Gilad’s release prior to any softening of stance towards Hamas.
- Join FreeMiddleEast.com to see our Gilad Shalit movie and more….
- Join us on facebook and subscribe to the FreeMiddleEast YouTube Channel
- Pass our 30 second movies marking the 4th anniversary of Gilad Shalit’s capture
- Change your facebook profile image to our Gilad Shalit 4 years picture.
Gilad Shalit - 4 years in captivity
For what it is worth, I have found through experience that consistency works. Now, Hamas is consistent to hold Shalit regardless of reason; Israel is consistent in flexing it’s prerogatives. Which consistency shall work best.
I suggest Israel looks at the success of it’s method. Maybe something could be learned here, before it is too late.
Good Luck, Gilad, our prayers go with you.
Comment by Yechiel — 2010/07/04 @ 2:38 pm
sometimes there s no reasoning with the unreasonable..people don t listen to reason because they don t care….it seems that the international organizations such as the red cross are less concerned about human rights violations against israel than any other nation
Comment by elizabeth oneil — 2010/07/27 @ 8:25 am
Hamas is certainly a terrorist organization, but you all act as if they are not human beings and just pure evil. My israeli brothers, please think logically.
Firstly, contrary to this page, nobody is mounting pressure onto our government to give into Hamas, because nobody wants to give in to terrorists. This is simply a lie.
Secondly, I, and I feel like the rest of us, should believe in the power of negotiation. For some reason, I have strong doubts that our government believes in negotiation though. I voted for Netanyahu, but now I regret it. I now see that he is a war monger. Someone, who with the bottom of his heart wants to protect Israel, but his ideology is dangerous. He wants no negotiations with our enemies. I understand that he wants to show that we have strength and will fight with our own two feet, but peace will not be achieved if we threaten our enemies like Netanyahu is.
As for the Home page of this site (I am new to your community here on this website), I was very saddened when I watch the introductory video. It pains me that Israelis would make up lies when there are so many critiques that can be made without lying. You could easily explain how Hamas kills Israelis and sends rockets at us everyday and many of us live in fear on a constant basis.
When we have reasons as powerful as this, why do we have to make up lies like “a large portion of the monetary aid sent to Palestinians goes towards Abbas’s $1.5 million villa”
This is categorically untrue, palestinians who receive aid receive it in the form of food and supplies, while the money goes toward buying more food and supplies.
My brothers, please be free thinkers, be in the right, let us be united with a common belief, but when you support lies we all lose the support of our national allies.
Comment by Logic. — 2010/10/05 @ 12:37 pm
Funny how you don’t mention the 8000 Palestinians being held prisoner by Israel.
Do you only care about Jews? Our Orthodox brother Chris Bandak has been held since 2002.
Comment by Armenian — 2010/10/25 @ 2:22 pm
The reason why 8000 palestinians are not mentioned is because:
1, There are not 8000 but nearer 7000
2. They range from petty criminals who are locked up for crimes like any Israeli, to terrorists who murdered many innocents
3. They were convicted in trials unlike Gilad
4. All but a few have release dates unlike Gilad
5. They were not kidnapped unlike Gilad
6. They are not denied access to the red cross unlike Gilad
7. They are treated with dignity unlike Gilad
8. Their families have contact with them unlike Gilad
9. They can be interviewed by the press unlike Gilad
10. The article is about Gilad Shalit!
Dear Armenian, please understand that FreeMiddleEast is about Freedom for all the oppressed peoples in the Middle East, with no distinction on religion. Among them the poor Armenians who have been treated disgracefully by Turkey and all those that have allowed them to deny their genocide. However, when a murderer or criminal is locked up, that does not make them oppressed. They were locked up to prevent them from committing oppression. There is zero equivalence between Gilad Shalit and a murderer who is serving sentence. To make such an equivalence is a perversion of reality and the very freedom that we all seek.
FreeMiddleEast is not just a name, it is an idea. We must free the middle east from tyranny and oppression. Sometimes that means we need to fight to reveal the reality of the Armenian genocide or the ethnic cleansing of the Kurdish nation, sometimes it means we must support the placing of convicted murderers behind bars and sometimes it means we must fight for the life of one 24 year old man who lost his freedom when he was a 19 year old boy.
Comment by jonathan — 2010/10/25 @ 3:39 pm